Mirant Shuts down Tonight

Now we just have to keep it shut down. 

www.house.gov/moran  

Moran Greets Decision to Shut Down Mirant Power Plant

Washington, D.C., August 24^th - Congressman Jim Moran, Virginia Democrat, enthusiastically greeted today's decision to shut down operations at Mirant's Potomac River Power Plant in Alexandria. 

"This decision is long overdue," said Moran.  "For many years, we have had strong suspicions that the Potomac Plant was operating outside of EPA regulations.  Our fears that the plant was emitting pollutants at levels considered unsafe were realized Monday when the downwash study conducted by the State's Department of Environmental Quality was released.  Today, Mirant acknowledged it's wrong-doing by announcing a temporary shutdown of operations at the Potomac Plant.  Local activists, the City Council and I will continue working to make this shutdown a permanent fix."

Earlier this week, the State Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) released an eagerly anticipated downwash study.  The results found that Mirant's Potomac River Power Plant in Alexandria has been emitting pollution well above current EPA standards.  On Tuesday, the Potomac Plant dramatically scaled back its operations to the minimal level.  Mirant was given till midnight Wednesday to offer a solution to the situation.  It was decided that this was not possible; therefore, Mirant made the decision to shutdown the plant this evening. 

Last fall, Mirant entered into a consent agreement with the Commonwealth of Virginia, EPA and the Department of Justice to reduce NOx emissions at its coal fired power plants in the Metropolitan DC area.  This agreement was in response to emission violations at the Potomac River Power Plant.  As a part of the agreement, the State agreed to oversee an independent downwash study to assess the impact of harmful emissions specifically released by the Potomac River Plant and determined if they exceed EPA's national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS).  Under the worst case scenario, the study found that the Potomac Plant was generating pollution that raised levels of hazardous emissions in the region that were seven times the allowable level of SO2 (sulfur dioxide), nearly twice the levels of allowable PM10 (particulate matter) and twice the allowable level of NOx (nitrogen dioxide).  

6:52:54 PM