NJ BOARD OF PUBLIC UTILITIES PRESIDENT ANNOUNCES THERE WILL BE NO PURGEN COAL PLANT
At NJ’s Energy Master Plan hearings, President Solomon released that Governor Christie said NO to all coal and carbon sequestration plants in New Jersey.

August 26, 2011– Linden, New Jersey – Over the last two months there have been several hearings for input on New Jersey’s draft Energy Master Plan, which outlines Governor Chris Christie’s plan for use, development and management of New Jersey’s energy over the next 10 years and beyond.  During each of these hearings, members of the Stop PurGen COALition have been present to strongly voice their concerns about a proposed experimental coal and carbon sequestration plant called “PurGen,” which would require the construction of a 140-mile long pipeline through New Jersey’s coastal waters and would pump carbon dioxide 1 mile below the earth’s surface.

On July 26, 2011, at the Board of Public Utilities (BPU) New Jersey Energy Master Plan (EMP) hearing, Lee Solomon, the President of the BPU, interrupted Stop Purgen COALition member Barbara Conover’s testimony to announce, “There will be no PurGen.  That project is not going forward as a coal carbon sequestration plant.  The Governor has said ‘no’ to any coal…I say that publicly, and on the record, and so did the Governor.”

At the August 13, 2011 BPU EMP hearing, another activist questioned BPU about the PurGen project.  Though she commended the EMP’s commitment to refuse coal as a source of energy, she called attention to the fact that there was no specific statement within the EMP that addressed the administration’s stance on “clean coal” technology, and more specifically, their position on PurGen.  Once more, Solomon stated, “There will be no PurGen.  The Governor has been clear about this.”

Stop PurGen COALition activist Sally Jane Gellert, attended the final hearing this week and asked Solomon, “Does this mean that there will be no PurGen – that the experimental so-called “clean coal” plant that was proposed for the state-designated environmental justice community of Linden in Union County has been rejected”?  He responded clearly, “There will be no coal plant.”

The Stop PurGen COALition, comprised of almost 40 groups from around the state including New Jersey Sierra Club, Edison Wetlands Association (EWA), New Jersey Environmental Federation (NJEF), and Clean Ocean Action, consider this a small victory for those who live, work, and play along the New Jersey coastline.

“Mr. Solomon’s assurance that PurGen ‘is not going forward as a coal/carbon sequestration plant’ is welcome news not only for those of us who live in Linden, but for the entire region that would be affected by pollution emitted by such a plant,” said Linden resident and Stop PurGen COALition member Ada Brunner.  “Linden already fails to meet clean air standards, and this plant would only make that worse.”

“It is a welcome relief to hear that the President of the BPU, Mr. Lee Solomon, has stated that there will be no PurGen and clarified there will be no carbon capture/sequestration here in Linden. We have been assured before by DEP Commissioner Bob Martin, but hearing it again from another individual is welcomed news,” said another Linden resident, Rebecca Kerins-Tattoli. “Although I am not resting easy yet, this is a major hurdle in the battle to stop PurGen.”

SCS plans to process coal for energy in Linden and then send a trillion pounds of pressurized, liquid carbon dioxide waste via a 140-mile pipeline through the Raritan Bay and out into the seabed off Atlantic City.

EWA Toxics Coordinator Dana Patterson is very concerned about health and safety.  She explains, “New Jersey is one the most densely populated areas in the country, our Jersey Shore produces millions economically, and this pipeline from Linden to Atlantic City could seriously affect that.  Our communities must not be put at risk of a dangerous release of carbon dioxide into the Atlantic Ocean. If the pipeline was damaged, it could potentially destroy our water quality, kill sea life, harm our fisheries, cause major ocean acidification and threaten our human health and safety.”

Citizens United for Renewable Energy member Georgina Shanley is also concerned with safety, “Given our mandatory evacuation order in the path of Hurricane Irene what perverted logic could allow the sequestration of millions of tons of CO2 off our coast. You just can’t mess with Mother Nature!”
SCS Energy is still moving forward with this project and claims they will pump their liquefied carbon dioxide through the pipeline from Linden to Atlantic City, and down one mile below the Atlantic Ocean’s surface, where they expect the carbon dioxide to remain immobile.

“The governor has said that he is opposed to the PurGen project.  The question is will he do anything to block it?  Under current rules and regulations, they can get all their permits,” stated New Jersey Sierra Club Director Jeff Tittel.

“They’re up for a draft air permit now, but unless the governor passes rules and regulations to block this facility from piping CO2 and pumping it offshore, then this facility could get built no matter what the governor’s opinion is. We would like to see legislation to ban the practice of carbon sequestration off the coast.”

“It’s clear the Christie Administration opposes this, what the coal industry calls ‘clean’ but the rest of us call ‘still plenty dirty and dangerous,’ plant. Faced with this adversity, PurGen should exercise some corporate responsibility and close up shop,” said NJEF Campaign Director David Pringle.  “Failing that, as I testified before President Solomon at the last Energy Master Plan yesterday and as he acknowledged, the Christie Administration will have to take stronger action to stop this environmental and economic injustice.”

“I’m glad to hear another top state official say that PurGen will not be built, but until SCS Energy announces they are no longer ‘in the game,’ we’ll keep on the alert and keep organizing,” said Essex/Passaic Greens Coordinator Ted Glick.  “And there is a big question: If not a coal plant with carbon sequestration, what then? Fracked natural gas? That’s unacceptable to me and the Essex/Passaic Greens.”

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For more information on the Stop PurGen COALition, please visit: www.StopPurGenCoalPlant.org.

The opening part of my statement was to commend the statement in the EMP: “…coal is a major source of CO2 emissions and New Jersey will no longer accept coal as a new source of power in the State.”  Then I went on to say this left a loophole for PurGen since it would sequester its CO2…

Lee Solomon, president of the BPU, interrupted me and said: “Stop. You don’t have to say anything more about PurGen. There will be no PurGen. That project is not going forward as a coal carbon sequestration plant. The Governor has said ‘no’ to any coal. That’s a done issue. It cannot even be inferred. There is no loophole. I say that publicly, and on the record, and so did the Governor.”

to which I replied: ” Well that’s great news! I have not heard the Governor say so publicly since he was elected, only as a campaign statement…”

President Solomon said: “Well I’m saying it publicly: there will be no PurGen. I can’t see how it can be more public or more clear.”

Wow.

Again, at the BPU Public Hearing in Pomona on August 11th, another activist again asked about PurGen. She also commended the draft EMP for its commitment to refuse coal sources of energy. Again, she pointed out that there was some concern still because there was no specific statement in the EMP addressing the administration’s position for or against so-called “clean coal” technology, and more specifically, PurGen. Once more, Board President Lee Solomon said, “Haven’t I said this before? There will be no PurGen. The Governor has been clear about this.”

He then caught himself and clarified what he meant by saying that he shouldn’t speak about PurGen (SCS) as a corporation since that would be biased against one company; his comment was about carbon capture and sequestration in general terms. Our activist then requested that this strong ‘no-carbon capture and sequestration’ phrasing be clearly added to the EMP… we shall wait and see if that will be added.

Today, August 24th (at the continuation of the August 3 hearing), Sally Jane Gellert testified on behalf of the Unitarian Universalist Legislative Ministry of New Jersey.  She asked, “Does this mean that there will be no PurGen—that the experimental so-called ‘clean coal’ plant that was proposed for the state-designated environmental justice community of Linden in Union County has been rejected?”  President Solomon asked her, “Would you like me to answer that?”  When she replied in the affirmative, he once again stated that there would be no coal plant in Linden.  

Does BPU President Solomon’s statement have any power or validity behind it?  Only time will tell; the DEP still has a preconstruction air pollution permit application under review.  But this was the president of the BPU speaking publicly – ‘on the record’  – at the time.  He should be accountable for his statements.

Barb Conover

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 4, 2011

EPA Takes Action on Reducing Barriers to the Use of Carbon Capture and Sequestration Technologies

Action supports national framework for the safe use of clean energy technology

WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing a rule to advance the use of carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) technologies, while protecting Americans’ health and the environment. CCS technologies allow carbon dioxide (CO2) to be captured at stationary sources – like coal-fired power plants and large industrial operations – and injected underground for long-term storage in a process called geologic sequestration. The proposal is consistent with recommendations made by President Obama’s interagency task force on CO2. sequestration and helps create a consistent national framework to ensure the safe and effective deployment of technologies that will help position the United States as a leader in the global clean energy race.

Today’s proposal will exclude from EPA’s hazardous waste regulations CO2 streams that are injected for geologic sequestration in wells designated for this purpose under the Safe Drinking Water Act. EPA is proposing this exclusion as part of the agency’s effort to reduce barriers to the use of CCS technologies. EPA requests that comments submitted on the rule share analytical data on the overall composition of captured CO2 streams, including physical and chemical characteristics, to help the Agency determine if additional actions are necessary to ensure the safe use of CSS technologies.

Based on review of existing regulatory programs, EPA’s proposal concludes that the management of CO2 streams under the proposed conditions does not present a substantial risk to people’s health or the environment, provides regulatory certainty to industries considering the use of CCS technologies, and encourages the deployment of CCS technologies in a safe and environmentally protective manner.

The proposed rule is complementary to previous EPA rulemakings, including final rules under the Clean Air Act that require reporting by facilities that capture or inject CO2 streams, and Safe Drinking Water Act regulations that ensure the wells used for geologic sequestration of CO2 are appropriately sited, constructed, tested, monitored, and closed. EPA will accept public comments on the proposal for 60 days following publication in the Federal Register.

More information on the proposed rule: http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/nonhaz/industrial/geo-sequester/index.htm More information on the Geologic Sequestration of Carbon Dioxide: http://water.epa.gov/type/groundwater/uic/wells_sequestration.cfm

CONTACT:
Stacy Kika
Kika.stacy@epa.gov
202-564-0906
202-564-4355

New Jersey Earthquake Shakes Plans for Coal Plant

Linden, NJ – Following yesterday’s earthquake, the Coalition to Stop PurGen called for SCS energy to abandon its plans to build a 750 megawatt carbon capture and sequestration coal and chemical plant in Linden, N.J.  The 3.9 magnitude earthquake in the Atlantic Ocean shook New Jersey and New York and tremors were felt as far north as Boston.

 The earthquake raises more concerns about the proposed PurGen coal plant, specifically the experimental carbon capture technology SCS Energy plans to use. If built, the coal plant would capture and pressurize most of its carbon dioxide (CO2) pollution.  The pressurized CO2 would be piped 138-miles down the coast of New Jersey and injected into the sea floor 70 miles east of Atlantic City.

“SCS Energy’s plans to process coal in Linden and pump liquefied CO2 waste under the ocean for storage is dangerous and short-sighted,” said Peter Montague, Director of the Environmental Research Foundation.

“The PurGen technology is unsafe and unproven.  An earthquake like this could be disastrous for New Jersey if PurGen moves forward,” said Christine Guhl, Sierra Club Field Organizer.

An earthquake could cause the pipeline to rupture or cause a leak of CO2 from the storage site.  Pressurized CO2 can kill through suffocation and even a small leak could have devastating effects on marine life.

“This is a very experimental project with many risks.  The fact that this region is susceptible to earthquakes should eliminate this ocean from further consideration,” stated Heather Saffert, Clean Ocean Action Staff Scienctist.

“This earthquake shows the disposal area for CO2 from the PurGen plant will not work.  This is a $5 billion gamble that would harm the environment and put people at risk.  That money would be better spent on safer, cheaper renewable energy,” said Jeff Tittel, New Jersey Sierra Club Director.

A recent report, State of Texas Hazards Analysis, states that “some human activities are known to cause or trigger earthquakes”.  Human activities that can potentially trigger earthquakes include the injection of fluids into the earth for waste disposal or petroleum production.

In 1987 a magnitude 3.8 earthquake hit Ashtabula Township, Ohio, located on Lake Erie after millions of gallons of hazardous fluids were forced under high pressure into a 1.8 kilometer-deep well. In 2001, a stronger 4.5 quake damaged 50 homes and businesses: ceiling tiles fell, plaster cracked and gas lines broke causing people to evacuate.

“The New York-New Jersey area is one the most densely populated areas in the country, and our communities must not be put at risk for a dangerous release of carbon dioxide into the Atlantic Ocean,” said Edison Wetlands Association Toxics Coordinator Dana Patterson.  ”This would potentially destroy our water quality, kill sea life, harm our fisheries, cause major ocean acidification and threaten our human health and safety.” 

“There are many reasons why this unproven, untested coal plant should never be built. Yesterday’s earthquake in the Atlantic is the latest reminder of one of them,” said Jane Califf, Stop PurGen Coalition.

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For more information on earthquakes and the PurGen plant go to: http://stoppurgencoalplant.org/our-concerns/earthquakes