Mayor Euille Responds to Questions About Mirant

Mayor William Euille’s Responses to Questions Posed by

Washington Post Reporter Jamie Stockwell

1) What is your reaction to the temporary shuttering of the Mirant Potomac River Generating Station?

The City is extremely gratified by the decision to close the plant.  We are convinced that closure is the only safe, effective and responsible way to remedy the serious Clean Air Act violations at the plant, which, depending on the pollutant, were exceeding the safe standard by two to fourteen times. The facts speak for themselves - the pollutants emitted from the plant were negatively impacting the health of Alexandria residents. Above all, the health and welfare of Alexandria’s residents has been the far reaching concern for me and the City Council. 

2) What steps have you taken over the years to force Mirant into compliance with federal air-quality standards?

The City began to receive serious complaints that the plant was harming air quality in 2000, and began monitoring the EPA’s Toxic Release Inventory (mercury, chromium, etc.) for the plant in that year.  Citizens also increased their complaints about dusts emitted from the plant.  In the Summer of 2003, the plant exceeded its operating permit limit for NOx, and was issued a notice of violation by the EPA and the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (VDEQ).  Also in the summer of 2003, Poul Hertel and Elizabeth Chiamento presented the City with a study which identified a real concern with the fine particulates, PM₁₀ and PM_2.5, emitted by the plant, and identified the “downwash” issue in the vicinity of the plant. At that time, the City began a multi-pronged enforcement initiative, working closely with the state and federal environmental regulators, and retaining the City’s own experts, to identify, and correct, the plant’s violations. Further, the City created its own working group, the Mirant Community Monitoring Group,chaired by Vice-Mayor Redella Pepper and Councilman Paul Smedberg, to spearhead all activities working toward viable solutions for the problem. Those efforts culminated in June 2004, when City Council directed staff to initiate several enforcement strategies to bring the plant into compliance or close. Pursuant to that directive, the City retained its own air quality modeling expert, to work with VDEQ alongside the City’s own staff and attorneys, to ensure that the downwash modeling study conducted by Mirant would be thorough and accurate. In addition, the City has worked with our General Assembly delegation during the 2004 and 2005 sessions, to seek legislation that would require these obsolete coal-fired power plants to comply with current environmental regulations, or close.

3) When were concerns initially raised that toxic levels of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide were present in the immediate area of the plant?

The concerns about downwash – including harmful gasses – in the vicinity of the plant came to the fore in the winter of 2003/2004.

4) What types of concerns do you have about the daily operation of the Mirant plant, and are those concerns at all allayed with its temporary closure?

The internal safety of the plant’s operation has never been in question. It’s the plant’s end product, the number and level of pollutants it emits, that causes concern. Mirant’s own study shows that the plant violates the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for three pollutants: Sulpher Dioxide (SO2) (7 to 14 times the standard), Particulate Matter 10 (PM₁₀) (3 times the standard) and Nitrogen Oxide (NOx) (2 times the standard).  In addition, the City’s own study shows that the plant violates the NAAQS for PM2.5 (even smaller, and more harmful particulates), as well as VDEQ Toxics Guidelines for Hydrogen Chloride and Hydrogen Fluoride.  Contrary to some reports, these are not “theoretical, worst-case” results, but are based on actual data submitted by the plant to EPA and VDEQ over a number of years.  These violations reflect actual, operating conditions.

Yes, our concerns are allayed with the plant’s temporary closing, but we remain vigilant regarding future proceedings. As I stated earlier, the City is convinced that closure is the only safe, effective and responsible way to remedy these serious Clean Air Act violations at the plant and to protect the citizens of the city.

5) What measures must Mirant officials take before the city will approve its reopening?

The City is deeply concerned that these violations of the NAAQS likely have been occurring for many years, possibly since they were adopted, and have directly affected not just the residents of Marina Towers, but all of the residents within one kilometer of the plant.  In addition, in papers recently filed with the Virginia State Corporation Commission, Mirant describes its Potomac River Plant as “functionally obsolete,” and stated that, because of physical deterioration to the plant “The remaining useful life [of this facility] as of January 1, 2002, is estimated at 5 years.”  In light of these facts, approving capital improvements which would prolong the life of the plant as a remedy for these NAAQS violations would contravene the spirit, if not the letter, of the Clean Air Act, as well as the City’s Zoning Ordinance. Accordingly, the City must conclude that the only appropriate enforcement action is the complete and permanent cessation of operations at the facility as soon as is practicable. 

6) What is next for the Mirant plant, and for the many Alexandrians who live in close proximity to it?

As you know, the DC Public Service Commission (PSC) has asked the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to order that the plant be reopened, supposedly because its closure presents some risk to the District’s electric supply.  We believe that any such risk is theoretical and greatly overstated, especially in contrast to the clear and present danger continued operation of the plant presents to the health of Alexandria’s residents.  Indeed, the PSC ordered PEPCO to provide a report on any impacts the plant’s closure might have within 5 days, but then went to FERC without even waiting for PEPCO’s response.  In fact, in a conference call today with emergency managers in the metropolitan region, PEPCO’s representatives reiterated that their system can safely and adequately handle any anticipated load without this plant.  The City will strenuously oppose any attempt to reopen this plant. We will continue to listen to our residents, monitor health conditions, and work with FERC, VDEQ, and Mirant on a solution to this problem. However, any solution that does not fully take into account the health and welfare of Alexandria residents will not be acceptable.

7) Is this a pollution issue simply in relation to the Potomac and watershed, or does this also pose a health concern for people and animals?

Let me be clear – this is a public health issue first and foremost.  Dr. Charles Konigsberg, Alexandria’s Public Health Director, has told me that studies conducted elsewhere indicate that long-term exposure to persistent levels of sulfur dioxide, which this plant is spewing at up to 14 times the safe level, can negatively affect your health. Persons with existing respiratory problems such as asthma are most sensitive.

Studies of industrial workers exposed to low levels of sulfur dioxide for 20 years or more showed changes in the lung function of those workers. Long-term studies surveying large numbers of children indicate that children who have breathed sulfur dioxide pollution may develop more breathing problems as they get older, may make more emergency room visits for treating of wheezing fits, and may get more respiratory illnesses than other children.  The serious health impacts of breathing PM2.5 and PM 10 particulates are only now being fully explored.

This plant may also be having a serious impact on water quality and aquatic life Potomac, but we’re focused right now on the human health impacts of this plant.

8) What is the full impact of the plant's closure?

I believe that the closure of this plant will benefit not only Alexandria’s residents, but residents in Arlington and the District of Columbia as well.  Remember, the prevailing winds often carry these pollutants to our neighbors in Virginia, and across the river. This will ultimately be a regional benefit for public health. And, the reliability of the electric grid will ultimately be enhanced without reliance on this aged and inefficient plant. 

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