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

8/9/18 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 Stanwell power station • Power station licencing and compliance • Air pollution and your legal rights • Coal ash • Incinerating waste • Renewable energy opportunities and transition planning • Take action 1

8/9/18 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

8/9/18 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 Arsenic & compounds 22 24 19 Beryllium & compounds 3 13 3 Boron & compounds 7,780 8,891 10,100 Cadmium & compounds 10 11 10 Carbon monoxide 768,300 803,690 831,980 Chlorine & compounds 23 39 43 Chromium (III) compounds 178 168 151 Chromium (VI) compounds 2 2 2 Cobalt & compounds 63 72 71 Copper & compounds 162 162 137 Fluoride compounds 395,007 520,017 483,007 Hydrochloric acid 1,420,000 1,460,000 1,890,000 Lead & compounds 110 123 110 Manganese & compounds 1,155 1,473 1,224 Mercury & compounds 57 72 101 Nickel & compounds 208 224 212 Oxides of Nitrogen 16,907,610 17,608,850 18,200,000 Particulate Matter 10.0 um 974,000 1,085,500 870,600 Particulate Matter 2.5 um 323,564 337,656 287,504 Sulfur dioxide 29,300,006 33,900,007 35,500,005 Sulfuric acid 309,000 357,000 374,000 T otal Volatile Organic Compounds 92,691 96,953 100,424 Zinc and compounds 227 247 223 T otal 50,500,180 56,181,192 58,549,924 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 3

8/9/18 “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 4

8/9/18 Legal framework -Qld Regulating power station emissions • Department of Environment and Science – "Our job is to support industry growth and ensure the prosperity of Queensland’s environment." • Environmental Protection Act • Environmental authorities Environmental Protection Act 1994 Environmental Protection Act • Chief pollution legislation in QLD • Imposes general duty not to cause environmental harm – section 319 » 'any adverse effect (whether temporary or permanent and of whatever magnitude, duration or frequency) on an environmental value and includes an environmental nuisance' • Duty to notify environmental harm • Must not wilfully and unlawfully cause serious or material environmental harm • Must not wilfully and unlawfully cause an environmental nuisance – unreasonable/likely interference with an environmental value Power station operations are notifiable activities so need an environmental authority 5

8/9/18 Environmental authorities • Chapter 5 EP Act 1994 • Imposes conditions for operation • Must be complied with • “licences to pollute” - imposes limits for air pollution, water discharges, land contamination, ash management Stanwell Power Station pollution licence conditions [EPPR00708913] • A1: All reasonable and practicable measures must be taken to minimise the likelihood of environmental harm being caused • B1: The environmentally relevant activity must be carried out by such reasonable and practicable means which may be necessary to prevent or minimise the release of contaminants to the atmosphere • B13: Water sprays are to be installed and operated on the coal receiving system taking into account all reasonable and practicable measures to minimise the release of dust and particulate matter to the atmosphere • F17&18 Ash is to be capped with a minimium of 300mm of cover material (topcoil) suitable for vegetative cover; a suitable grass cover must be established as soon as reasonably practicable 6

8/9/18 What is unusual about the Stanwell Power Station pollution licence? • No fine particle, mercury or SO2 stack emission limits • The licence allows NOx stack emissions 13 times more concentrated than allowed from power stations in the U.S. • B11: The total sulphur content of coal burned in the boilers is not to exceed 0.8% on a monthly weighted average basis • B12: Biomass is permitted to be co-fired with black coal on the coal- fired pulverised fuel boilers. The proportion of biomass must not exceed 10% of the total fuel load at any one time • E1: The Nature Refuge is not a noise sensitive place • F10: You are permitted to dispose of on-site by combustion in the Station’s boilers: used ion exchange resin from water treatment, exhausted oil and chemical sorbents, boiler and superheater chemical clean iron and copper bearing waste solutions NOx emission limits comparison (mg/m3) 1400 1300 1200 1000 800 600 400 300 200 200 100 0 US Japan EU Stanwell 7

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8/9/18 Your legal rights • DES should be chief environmental regulator • Civil enforcement options under EP Act – Any person can seek order in Planning and Environment Court to remedy or restrain a breach of the Act, EA condition breach, activity without approval – Easier process if your interests are affected by the offence, e.g. health impacts from air pollution – Where interests are not affected, need leave from the Planning and Environment Court to obtain standing • EDO Queensland factsheet Take action • Ask Environment Minister Leeanne Enoch to insist that Stanwell install available emission controls • Communicate pollution concerns and complaints to Stanwell 07 4930 3444 • Report air pollution incidents 1300 130 372 (DEHP) • Read Stanwell Power Station’s permit • Subscribe for EJA’s fortnightly email updates • Like our Facebook page • … 10

8/9/18 Questions and discussion 11