Wednesday News
It's a Gas: Sen. Mark Pryor says he wants more natural gas vehicles. Sure works out well for all those doing business in the Fayetteville Shale. Doesn't work out so well for everyone who has or will have their well water ruined, roads destroyed or streams contaminated. Thanks to Citizens' Daily Lobby for the shout out.
Photo by Damon Winter, AEP General James M. Gavin Plant
Big Offender: The Environmental Protection Agency has released a list of 44 "High Hazard Potential Units," or sites where coal combustion residues (CCRs) are stored. CCRs consist of "fly ash, bottom ash, coal slag, and flue gas desulfurization (FGD) residue. CCRs contain a broad range of metals, for example, arsenic, selenium, cadmium, lead, and mercury, but the concentrations of these are generally low. However, if not properly managed, (for example, in lined units), CCRs may cause a risk to human health and the environment and, in fact, EPA has documented cases of environmental damage."
American Electric Power, the corporation that owns SWEPCO is on the list. Eleven times! See the report and the list of sites here. Just think, if they finish the Turk plant, maybe we can be on the list too.
Uphill Battle: Getting the American Clean Energy and Security Act through the Senate will be tough. Especially with Sens. Pryor and Lincoln in the mix. I wonder if they will vote with Democrats, or side with the big energy companies on this one. You never know. Check out John Lyon's report.
