Power generation & health Understanding the problem Agreeing on - PDF document

8/6/18 Power generation & health Understanding the problem Agreeing on solutions Planning cooperative action Tonight’s discussion • Toxic pollution and health impacts • Air pollution monitoring and access to data in your community • Emissions from Mt Piper • Power station licencing and compliance • Air pollution and your legal rights • Coal ash • Incinerating waste • Renewable energy opportunities and transition planning • Take action 1

8/6/18 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 oxic emissions from Mt Piper: National Pollutant Inventory 2016-17 Ammonia (total) 920 1,400 Arsenic & compounds 9 7 73 Beryllium & compounds 4 1 4 Boron & compounds 23,000 33,001 Cadmium & compounds 6 2 6 Carbon monoxide 820,000 550,000 809,100 Chlorine & compounds 190 55 Chromium (III) compounds 43 13 43 Chromium (VI) compounds 2 1 2 Cobalt & compounds Copper & compounds 16 3 19 Cumene (1-methylethylbenzene) 12 Fluoride compounds 210,000 71,000 270,000 Hydrochloric acid 2,000,000 1,300,000 1,900,000 Lead & compounds 44 7 26 Manganese & compounds 95 29 102 Mercury & compounds 42 19 29 Nickel & compounds 77 27 131 Oxides of Nitrogen 24,000,000 18,000,000 22,021,000 Particulate Matter 10.0 um 258,000 43,000 153,000 Particulate Matter 2.5 um 130,000 10,000 59,400 Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (B[a]Peq) 33 22 33 Sulfur dioxide 36,000,000 23,000,000 32,000,015 Sulfuric acid 370,000 240,000 330,000 T oluene (methylbenzene) T otal Volatile Organic Compounds 99,062 66,097 100,200 Xylenes (individual or mixed isomers) 64 Zinc and compounds 130 48 153 T T otal 63,888,673 43,303,331 57,677,812 Health impacts • Fine particle pollution (PM 2.5 ) causes premature death • Sulfur dioxide contributes to asthma, infant birth weight, cardiovascular and repiratory illness, hospital admissions • Oxides of nitrogen effect lung function, asthma and allergies even at low levels • Mercury has toxic effects on the nervous, digestive and immune systems, and on lungs, kidneys, skin and eyes • Coal ash contains arsenic, lead, mercury, cadmium, chromium and other toxic pollutants. 2

8/6/18 Reducing emissions – some options • Fabric filters (bag houses) to reduce PM 2.5 • Flue gas desulfurisation and low sulfur coal to reduce SO 2 • Selective Catalytic Reduction to reduce NOx emissions • Coal washing to reduce mercury emissions • Ultrasupercritical power stations • Electrostatic precipitators • Planned retirement, transition to renewables “Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) is the most effective NOx control technology and is the dominant post-combustion NOx control method presently in use.” AGL Liddell NOx Reduction report, 2017 3

8/6/18 NSW Load based licensing scheme 4

8/6/18 Legal framework -NSW Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997 – Administered by OEH / EPA – Standards cannot be exceeded from a 'point source' – Breaching emissions standards is an offence – Facility must be operated in an efficient and proper manner Objects of POEO Act (a) to protect, restore and enhance the quality of the environment in NSW having regard to the need to maintain ecologically sustainable development, (b) to provide increased opportunities for public involvement and participation in environment protection, (c) to ensure that the community has access to relevant and meaningful information about pollution, (d) to reduce risks to human health and prevent the degradation of the environment by the use of mechanisms that promote the following: (i) pollution prevention and cleaner production, (ii) the reduction to harmless levels of the discharge of substances likely to cause harm to the environment, (iia) the elimination of harmful wastes, (iii) the reduction in the use of materials and the re-use, recovery or recycling of materials, (iv) the making of progressive environmental improvements, including the reduction of pollution at source, (v) the monitoring and reporting of environmental quality on a regular basis 5

8/6/18 Legal framework -NSW • Protection of the Environment (Clean Air) Regulation 2010 – "Groups" facilities depending on age of facility – This group determines air emissions standards • Environment protection licences (pollution licences) – Failure to comply with EPL is an offence • Power stations must comply with their EPL conditions and with broader provisions of NSW environmental laws, e.g. POEO Act and Regs 6

8/6/18 What is unusual about Mt Piper’s EPL? • No ambient air pollution monitoring or community right to know • No requirement to report exceedances to the EPA • No requirement to monitor continuously • No limit for sulfur in coal • No monitoring or limit for cadmium or carbon monoxide • No monitoring for undifferentiated particles • No requirements for start-up fuel • No licence conditions for fuel monitoring 7

8/6/18 Your legal rights POEO Act • Civil enforcement actions – Open standing – Orders to remedy or restraint a breach of Act or Regulations – Breaches of EPL conditions • Failing to maintain or operate an industrial plant in an efficient and proper manner • Emitting pollution in excess of state limits – "balance of probability" that breach occurred • Criminal enforcement actions – EPA usually the primary prosecutor – Offence of the Act or Regulations – Need leave of the LEC to proceed 8

8/6/18 Coal ash at Mount Piper • Toxic mix of heavy metals • Dams Safety Act; POEO Act; EPLs • Inside decommissioned mine – increases risk of contamination • Dry ash waste – Condition O3: The premises must be maintained in a condition which minimises or prevents the emission of dust from the premises. – Controls include suppressing with water, capping 9

8/6/18 Waste incineration • Feedstock • Air quality and EU Standards • What doesn't go up definitely goes down • Traffic Take action • Report air pollution concerns and events 131 555 • Communicate pollution concerns and complaints to EnergyAustralia1800 756 968 • Read Mt Piper’s Environment Protection Licence EPL13007 • Subscribe for EJA’s fortnightly email updates • Like our Facebook page • Organise a talk on air pollution with your group or organisation • … 10