For Immediate Release
December 1, 2010

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