The 102-MW Colver Power Project in Cambria County—a bituminous coal mining region in western Pennsylvania—began operations in May 1995. When coal is consumed, it releases particulates into the atmosphere. 220 S. 34th St., Philadelphia, PA 19104 The EPA emphasized, when questioned by POWER in May, that coal refuse piles are a marked environmental worry for their acid seepage and leachate production, spontaneous combustion, and low soil fertility. The record notes that the “dust was so dense at times as to obscure the view.” Source: National Archives and Records Administration. The nation’s coal refuse plants are also the lowest emitters of mercury of all coal generation facilities, even though coal refuse may be higher in mercury content, ARIPPA said, noting that multiple coal-refuse units were included in the EPA’s Maximum Achievable Control Technology (MACT) floor calculations (top 12% performing units) used to establish the emission standards for mercury and non-mercury metals as outlined in its Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS). To purchase short term access, please sign in to your Oxford Academic account above. Just as Congress was preparing to vote for the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act (PURPA) in 1978, CFB technology was being developed and showing a capability to convert low–heating value carbonaceous material (such as coal refuse) into energy. Environmental impact assessments (EIAs) are a regulated policy mechanism that can be used to predict and consider the health impacts of mining projects to determine if consent is given. It furthers the University's objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education by publishing worldwide, This PDF is available to Subscribers Only. 19: 5537. This waste coal—also known as culm, gob, or boney, and often mixed in with rock, shale, slurry, slate, clay, and other materials—has been randomly stockpiled high on thousands of acres of abandoned mine lands (AML), scattered across landscapes in coal country, sometimes filling up entire valleys with dark gray moonscape-like formations. Comment below to get your voice heard…. Whether or not coal power is all bad, this research is sure to add to the drive for a future with renewable energy at its core. Underscoring its message that “one regulation does not fit all plants the same,” the industry has continued its fight to keep afloat amid the deluge of environmental rules targeting coal plants. 2019. Emily Riley, Peter Sainsbury, Phil McManus, Ruth Colagiuri, Francesca Viliani, Angus Dawson, Elizabeth Duncan, Yolande Stone, Tracy Pham, Patrick Harris, Including health impacts in environmental impact assessments for three Australian coal-mining projects: a documentary analysis, Health Promotion International, Volume 35, Issue 3, June 2020, Pages 449–457, https://doi.org/10.1093/heapro/daz032. Li F, Ye Z, Xiao X, Ma D. Environmental Benefits of Stock Evolution of Coal-Fired Power Generators in China. Temperatures fell into the single digits for almost a month while crews worked. Your email address will not be published. The niche alternative energy industry that generates power from hazardous piles of coal waste that litter the U.S. is facing an environmental Catch-22. We use cookies on our website to ensure you get the best experience. The problem is biggest in China, where most of the world’s coal is used. Greenpeace has published research showing that the world’s 8,359 coal power plants use enough water to supply the needs of one billion people. The long inferno. You do not currently have access to this article. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com, This article is published and distributed under the terms of the Oxford University Press, Standard Journals Publication Model (. Energy from Waste: Greenhouse Gas Winner or Pollution Loser? Also, “If 100 tons of waste coal are burned, 85 tons will remain as waste coal ash,” it said. Meyerson Hall Room G29 Mining Social Media Data to Study the Consequences of Dementia Diagnosis on Caregivers and Relatives. The plants are owned by a diverse mix of companies, including NRG Energy, Exelon, Olympus Power, Babcock & Wilcox Co., Foster Wheeler, Northern Star Generation, Pacific Gas and Electric, Kimberly Clark, Cogentrix Energy, Olympus Power, Schuylkill Energy Resources, Waste Management, Southern Illinois Power Cooperative, and Colstrip Energy. Fisher Fine Arts Building Room 401 Coal has long been a reliable source of American energy, but it comes with tremendous costs because it is incredibly dirty. Plying the pile. The downsides of coal power are have been well known for years: It emits greenhouse gases, contributing to global warming and causing acid rain. “In fact, EPA has established subcategory SO2 and NOx emission standards for new, modified and reconstructed coal refuse-fired EGUs,” it said. Most power produced is sold in the PJM wholesale and capacity markets. The first CFB plant designed to convert large quantities of coal refuse into power—the 30-MW Westwood Generating Station in Schuylkill County, Pa.—came online in 1987. We’ve got you covered! Lucrative power purchase agreements signed under PURPA are beginning to expire, forcing plants to compete in the open market.

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