Cynic's Guide to the 9/30 MDEQ Calendar, Part 2

[asagady@sojourn.com]

>Date: Mon, 07 Oct 1996 23:14:18
>To: enviro-mich@igc.org
>From: asagady@sojourn.com
>Subject: Cynic's Guide to the 9/30 MDEQ Calendar, Part 2
>
>PART 2   9/30/96 INAUGURAL EDITION
>
>CYNIC'S GUIDE TO THE MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF
>ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY'S 9/30/96  "CALENDAR"
>
>
>THE SAGA OF VIKING ENERGY
>
>[See the cynic's commentary below]
>
>>
>>AIR QUALITY DIVISION 
>>
>>VIKING ENERGY OF LINCOLN, ALCONA COUNTY, proposed
>>conditional approval of a permit to install application for the
>>proposed burning of alternate fuels in their existing power plant. 
>>Public comment will be taken through October 7, 1996, and a
>>public hearing will be held on October 9, 1996, see October 9
>>listing in this calendar. Information Contact: Dave Ferrier, Air
>>Quality Division, 517-373-7079. Decision-maker: Dennis Drake,
>>Air Quality Division Chief.  
>>
>>
>>OCTOBER 7, 1996  DEADLINE FOR PUBLIC COMMENT
>>REGARDING VIKING ENERGY OF LINCOLN, ALCONA
>>COUNTY, for the proposed burning of alternate fuels in their
>>existing power plant. A public hearing will be held on October 9,
>>1996; see October 9 listing in this calendar. Information Contact:
>>Dave Ferrier, Air Quality Division, 517-373-7079. 
>>
>>
>>OCTOBER 9, 1996   7:00 p.m. 
>>PUBLIC HEARING REGARDING VIKING ENERGY OF
>>LINCOLN, ALCONA COUNTY, proposed conditional approval of
>>a permit to install application for the proposed burning of alternate
>>fuels in their existing power plant. A public hearing will be held
>>on in the Alcona High School Media Center Room, 81 North
>>Barlow, Lincoln. Information Contact: Dave Ferrier, Air Quality
>>Division, 517-373-7079. 
>
>
>[THE CYNIC:  This is an effort by Texas independant power
>company CRSS INC. and their bid to make Lincoln, MI the
>pentachlorophenal waste/demolition waste disposal capitol of
>Michigan .
>
>Actually, this is a plant that should have never been built.  Originally
>permitted only for virgin wood chips, its sponsors have delighted
>in chewing up local forests, and eclipsing more beneficial, higher
>uses of forestry resources.
>
>Now that the wood supply is getting tighter, and  public/private
>forest policy types have figured out that forests products have
>better uses than simply burning up for making electricity, the plant
>is seeking to burn waste for disposal.   This must be sinfully 
>profitable since they'll be accepting tipping fees instead of paying
>for wood, and the big utilities have to buy the power at replacement
>rates rather than a lower market price.
>
>In turn, the move to turn Lincoln, MI into a "host community" for 
>everyone's dirty wood waste disposal has spawned one of the 
>hottest, fastest-rising citizen reaction campaigns seen recently
>in Michigan on a local environmental issue....all in the little town of
Lincoln 
>in Alcona County, about 30 miles south of Alpena.
>
>A citizen group has skyrocketed into existence in the last month to
>fight this proposal.  They've already gotten most of the area's
>political power structure on their side, including the local paper,
>county board, etc.
>
>"Alternate fuels" is the sugar-coated DEQ/company euphemism for
>toxic-contaminated demolition waste, creosoted wood and
>pentachlorophenal/dioxin contaminated wood (like railroad ties) and tires. 
>The low grade demolition waste and other toxic fuels are all of the
>same wastes that the citizen group in Flint got rejected in the waste
>burning permit during the Flint-area Genesee Power Plant fight.
>
>Last summmer, no one was apparently paying attention, and MDEQ
>granted a similar permit for the wood waste burning plant in
>McBain on the west side of the state.  That decision seriously
>undercut the precedent set in the Genesee Power case that wood
>waste had to be processed to remove paint materials before burning,
>and that simply burning low-quality waste would not be permitted.
>
>The Lincoln plant is directly adjacent to the town and next to some lakes. 
>There has been no comprehensive risk assessment.  There is no
>legally enforcement requirements for  maximum permissible fuel
>contaminant concentrations or fuel testing requirements.  There is
>no clear, legally enforceable requirements to process demolition
>wood to remove painted materials.  There is no requirement for
>continuous emission monitoring for toxic metals, technology now
>available from Europe.  Nor are there requirements to ensure that
>the pentachlorophenol is destroyed under all plant operating
>conditions.  There is no baghouse/dry scrubber air pollution control
>which would be considered state-of-the-art emission control.
>
>Viking is part of the high stakes lobbying campaign over the
>deregulation of the electric utility industry...lots of campaign
>contributions and Lansing lobbyists floating around that issue.
>
>Note how MDEQ is closing the comment period two days before
>the public hearing in Lincoln....ENGLER ADMINISTRATION/MDEQ
>noxiousness in action!!!!!]
>
>Look for a strong citizen showing at the hearing Wednesday
>night...]
>
>

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Alex J. Sagady & Associates    		Email:  asagady@sojourn.com
Environmental Consulting and Database Systems
PO Box 39
East Lansing, MI  48826-0039  
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