Butte County's Biggest Polluter and How You May Be Exposed to - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

The Story of Butte County's Biggest Polluter and How You May Be Exposed to Dioxins Butte Environmental Council Robyn DiFalco, Julia Murphy, Mark Stemen

Butte Environmental Council  Educating and Advocating for the land, air, and water in Butte County and beyond  A voice for the environment since 1975  Our work depends on volunteers, member donations, grants, and fundraising Butte Environmental Council

The Story of POPI  Pacific Oroville Power Industries (POPI)  Located in south Oroville  highway 7o Industrial Park  Biomass energy facility  First permitted in 1983  Covanta- owned since ‘97 Butte Environmental Council

The Pacific Oroville Power Industries (POPI) plant consumes 28 tons of fuel per hour Butte Environmental Council

Up to 30% urban wood waste • Construction & demolition debris  Recycling credits  Renewable energy credits Butte Environmental Council

Bituminous coal Butte Environmental Council

So what happens to the waste?  Covanta pays farmers $17/ton to take the waste ash as fertilizer Butte Environmental Council

Waste ash: Hicks Ln, north Chico  19,000 tons  20 ft high  Wider & longer than a football field Butte Environmental Council

Digging for Dioxins  District Attorney’s office investigating waste ash  Chromium, Arsenic, Copper, Aluminum and Lead found in DA’s tests Butte Environmental Council

What’s the Current Status?  September 2012 – Ash removal from Hicks Ln  BEC tests show post-cleanup dioxin levels are higher than background samples & that dioxin migrates as runoff  December 2012 – POPI plant ceases operations “for economic reasons”  Covanta retains permits, PG&E seeks revision of terms Butte Environmental Council

Wait… Can they do that?  Facility is self-monitored  Full evaluation of exhaust stacks last in 1988  Reports to Butte County Air Quality Management District  POPI pays $12,000/year in permit fees to BCAQMD Butte Environmental Council

What is Dioxin?  Over 250 variations, or “congeners”  Agent Orange  Love Canal – Lois Gibbs  the Center for Health & Environmental Justice  Toxic & Controversial Butte Environmental Council

Why is Dioxin a Big Deal?  Incinerator, Chemical Manufacturing industry by-product  Persistent in the environment  Persistent in animals and humans Butte Environmental Council

Butte Environmental Council

Koppers Superfund Site  Grant from The California Wellness Foundation  Dioxin Testing process  Agency Relations Butte Environmental Council

According to the Environmental Health Investigations Branch: “ The US Food and Drug Administration (has also) considered commercial eggs adulterated at 1 ppt ITEQ.” (Environ. Sci. Technol. 2000 , 34, 1143-1149) Butte Environmental Council

POPI / Covanta  Deputy DA wanted to know what we knew  We began investigating, tested waste ash  OH, WHAAAT!!?? On Orchards and Farms??! Butte Environmental Council

Biomass is “green” energy Butte Environmental Council

Wood is “natural” Butte Environmental Council

But what about this? Butte Environmental Council

POPI ash tests revealed:  Lead (most dominant due to old paint)  Copper  Arsenic  Chromium Butte Environmental Council

How about CO2 emissions? Butte Environmental Council

Burning wood in an incinerator to generate electricity produces more CO2 per unit of energy than a coal-fired power plant! Carbon Dioxide Emissions by Energy Source (lbs/MWh) 3500 3000 2500 2000 1500 1000 500 0 Incineration Coal-Fired Oil-fired Natural Gas Butte Environmental Council

Saleable, my ash Butte Environmental Council

California’s Renewable Energy Requirements  Established in 2002 by Senate Bill 1078, the State of California Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) is one of the most ambitious renewable energy standards in the country, requiring electricity providers to increase the portion of energy from renewable sources to 20% by 2010 and to 33% by 2020.  PG&E pays POPI a premium price for its power, and includes it as part of its renewable portfolio.  The agreement also requires POPI to run at full-capacity regardless of local fuel availability Butte Environmental Council

POPI is dirty energy and should not be subsidized by PG&E  Anything that creates pollution in the course of producing electricity shouldn't be considered clean, green or renewable. Butte Environmental Council

Or by anybody, anywhere else! Butte Environmental Council

And question “green” technology Butte Environmental Council

What Next?  Grant funding from Patagonia & Clif Bar  Measure human exposure & health impacts  Meet with elected officials and local regulators  Watch for reoperation of the POPI facility Butte Environmental Council

Questions? Contact… Butte Environmental Council Robyn DiFalco, Julia Murphy, Mark Stemen www.becnet.org www.becnet.org/dioxin-butte-county 530-891-6424 staff@becnet.org Butte Environmental Council