EnvironmentalEffectsofthe

CoalCycle:• Mining

• Burning• Waste

StripMiningintheMountains

EffectsofMTRonHabitat“basedonstudiesofover1200streamsegmentsimpactedby

mountaintopminingandvalleyfillsthefollowingenvironmentalissueswerenoted:

•Anincreaseofmineralsinthewater—zinc,sodium,selenium,andsulfatelevelsmayincreaseandnegaLvelyimpactfishandmacroinvertebratesleadingtolessdiverseandmorepollutant‐tolerantspecies.

•Streamsinwatershedsbelowvalleyfillstendtohavegreaterbaseflow.•StreamsaresomeLmescoveredup.•Wetlandsare,atLmesinadvertentlyandotherLmesintenLonally,created;

thesewetlandsprovidesomeaquaLcfuncLons,butaregenerallynotofhighquality.

•Forestsmaybecomefragmented(brokenintosecLons).•There‐growthoftreesandwoodyplantsonre‐gradedlandmaybesloweddue

tocompactedsoils.•Grasslandbirdsaremorecommononreclaimedminelandsasaresnakes;

amphibianssuchassalamanders,arelesslikely....•CumulaLveenvironmentalcostshavenotbeenidenLfied….”(EPA2009a).

(HiddenCostsofEnergy:UnpricedConsequencesofEnergyProducLonandUseh\p://www.nap.edu/catalog/12794.html)

(USEPA2008)

Pa\ernsofCoalMiningAcLvityandEcologicalSensiLvity

AppalachianCoalProducLonbyCounty2009

(AppalachianRegionalCommission)

SedimentasapollutantinCoalCountryRiverBasins

2004 303(d) Report

BASIN

Total Impaired stream

segments

Impairmentfrom

siltation and

sedimen-tation

% of Total Segments impared by

Siltation and

Sedimen-tation

"Resource Extraction" Identified as Source of Silt/ Sed Impairment

% of Total Segments “Resource Extraction” as source of impairment for SILTED

stream segments

Resource extraction as

source of impairment

for ALL stream

segments Kentucky 50 21 42.00% 11 52.38% 22.00%

Cumberland 62 26 41.94% 21 80.77% 33.87% Big Sandy 98 84 85.71% 76 90.48% 77.55%

TOTAL 210 131 62.38% 108 82.44% 51.43%

KentuckyReporttoCongress“ListofImpairedWaters”2004

KentuckyDivisionofWaterdataindicatesthatsiltaBonandsedimentaBondirectlyassociatedwithresourceextracBonaccountsformorethanhalfofalloftheimpairmentsincoalcountrydrainagebasins

Coaldustleadstoelevatedlevelsofrespiratoryproblemsnearsurfaceminingsites.

Coun%esinAppalachiawherecoalminingisheaviesthadsignificantlyhigherage‐adjustedmortality

comparedtootherAppalachiancoun%esandtootherareasofthecountry.

•  ElevatedmortalityratespersistedinAppalachiancoalminingareasa5erfurthersta8s8caladjustmentforsmoking,poverty,educa8on,rural‐urbanse>ng,race/ethnicity,andothervariables

•  A5eradjustmentforallcovariates,Appalachiancoalminingareaswerecharacterizedby1,607excessannualdeathsovertheperiod1999‐2004.

MichaelHendryENVIRONMENTALJUSTICEVolume1,Number1.

25%ofMarBnCountyhasbeensurfacemined• TotalAcreageofCounty:148,000• TotalAcresSurfaceMined:37,760• NumberofSludgeDams:5QualityofLifeIndicators1980‐2005%ChangeTotalPopulaLon:13,968;12,200‐12.7%TotalCoalProducLon(mst)13,232,686;5,547,679‐58.1%AverageIncomeas%ofUSaverage81%;59%‐30.1%.MiningJobs3156;839‐73.4%MiningJobsas%oftotaljobs65.7%;21.4%‐67.4%PercentLivinginPovertyin2000:35.4%(USAverage:16.5%)PercentUnemployedinMarch,2007:8.2%(USAverage:4.5%)

KentuckiansfortheCommonwealth

RecentDevelopmentsConcerningRegulaLonofStripMininginthe

Mountains•  EPAiscoordinaLngwithOSMandtheArmyCorpsofEngineersonimprovingconsideraLonofCleanWaterAct404permitsforsurfaceminingvalleyfillsandstreamburial(EnhancedCoordinaLonProcedures).

•  TheCorpsisconsideringwhethertostartrequiringindividualconsideraLonforeach404miningpermitinAppalachia,insteadofusingthenaLonwide21Permit

•  EnvironmentalGroupshaveaskedEPAtoconsiderenvironmentaljusLceissuesinconsideringpermitsforstripmininginthemountains.

EnvironmentalEffectsofCoal‐firedPowerPlants

CriteriaAirPolluLonDamagesfromCoal‐FiredPowerPlants

“Tosummarize:theaggregatedamagesassociatedwithcriteria‐pollutantformingemissionsfromcoal‐firedelectricitygeneraLonin2005wereapproximately$62billion(USD2007),or3.2centsperkWh…however,damagesperplantvariedwidely.”

(Thisislimitedtocriteriapollutantsanddoesnotincludeclimatechangecosts.)

HiddenCostsofEnergy:UnpricedConsequencesofEnergyProducLonandUseh\p://www.nap.edu/catalog/12794.html)

FIGURE2‐8RegionaldistribuLonofairpolluLondamagesfromcoalgeneraLonperkWhin2005(USD2007).Damagesrelatedtoclimatechange

arenotincluded.HiddenCostsofEnergy:UnpricedConsequencesofEnergyProducLonandUseh\p://www.nap.edu/catalog/

12794.htmlPrepublica8onCopy

StudyusingdatafromtheHarvardSchoolofPublicHealthfoundthat,asof2000,KYcouldexpect997prematuredeathsperyearfrompowerplantpolluBon.

AmericanLungAssociaLonStateoftheAir:2007report

concluded:•  WaystoCleanUpOurAirCleanupcoal‐firedpowerplants“Oldcoal‐firedpowerplantsareamongthebiggestindustrialpolluters,especiallyintheeasternhalfoftheUnitedStates.Thetollofdeath,diseaseandenvironmentaldestrucLoncausedbycoal‐firedpowerplantpolluLonconLnuestomount.Ananalysisreleasedin2004a\ributed24,000prematuredeathseachyeartopowerplantpolluLon.InaddiLon,theresearchesLmatesthatover550,000asthmaa\acks,38,000hearta\acksand12,000hospitaladmissionsarecausedannuallybypowerplantpolluLon.”

(h\p://lungacLon.org/reports/sota07_protecLng1.htmlaccessed10/21/09_)

EPAannouncesmercuryruleforcoal‐firedpowerplants.

•  U.S.EPAwillissueafinalrulerequiringstrictplant‐specificcontrolsformercuryandotherhazardousairpollutantsatpowerplantsbyNovember2011,accordingtoaconsentagreementfiledyesterdayinafederaldistrictcourt.

•  "Thisrulemakingwilldrivethecleanupofcoal‐firedpowerplantsinthiscountry,"saidJohnWalke,aseniora\orneyattheNaturalResourcesDefenseCouncil."ItwillrequirethewidespreadadopLonofscrubbersthatwillreducenotonlytoxicpolluLonbut[sulfurdioxide]polluLonandfineparLclepolluLon.“

(AIRPOLLUTION:EPAmustfinalizemercuryrulebyNov.2011‐‐se\lement(10/23/2009)RobinBravender,E&Ereporter)

EffluentPolluLonfromCoal‐FiredPowerPlants

NewRegulaBonsforSteamElectricPowerGeneraBngEffluent•  EPAhascompletedamul8‐yearstudyoftheSteamElectricPowerGenera8ngindustryand,basedontheresults,hasdeterminedthatrevisingthecurrenteffluentguidelinesfortheindustryiswarranted.

•  EPA’sdecisiontorevisethecurrenteffluentguidelinesislargelydrivenbythehighleveloftoxic‐weightedpollutantdischargesfromcoalfiredpowerplantsandtheexpecta8onthatthesedischargeswillincreasesignificantlyinthenextfewyearsasnewairpollu8oncontrolsareinstalled.Oct.27,2009

hSp://www.epa.gov/guide/steam/finalreport.pdf

•  EPAdeterminedthatthereareanumberofpollutantspresentinwastewatersgeneratedatcoal‐firedpowerplantsthatcanimpacttheenvironment,includingmetals(e.g.,arsenic,selenium,mercury),TDS,andnutrients.

•  TheprimaryroutesbywhichcoalcombusLonwastewaterimpactstheenvironmentarethroughdischargestosurfacewaters,leachingtogroundwater,andbysurfaceimpoundmentsandconstructedwetlandsacLngasa\racLvenuisancesthatincreasewildlifeexposuretothepollutantscontainedinthesystems.

•  EPAfoundtheinteracLonofcoalcombusLonwastewaterswiththeenvironmenthascausedawiderangeofenvironmentaleffectstoaquaLclife.

hSp://www.epa.gov/guide/steam/finalreport.pdf

CoalCombusLonWasteTVAcoalashspillinTennessee

CoalCombusLonWasteRegulaLonComing

•  EPAAnnouncesNewAcBontoPreventCoalAshReleases“Respondingtolastyear’smassivecoalashspillataTennesseeValleyAuthorityfacilityinKingston,Tennessee,theU.S.EnvironmentalProtecLonAgencytodaylaidoutneweffortstopreventfuturethreatstohumanhealthandtheenvironment.

Theagency’splanincludesmeasurestogathercriLcalcoalashimpoundmentinformaLonfromelectricaluLliLesnaLonwide,conducton‐siteassessmentstodeterminestructuralintegrityandvulnerabiliLes,ordercleanupandrepairswhereneeded,anddevelopnewregulaLonsforfuturesafety.3/09/2009)

(h\p://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/d0cf6618525a9ew85257359003w69d/b2856087389w82485257574007409c1!OpenDocument)

CoalFiredPowerPlantsareaMajorSourceofGlobalWarming:PotenLallytheLargestLong‐TermEnvironmental

ImpactofAll.

StrategicAnalysisoftheGlobalStatusofCarbonCaptureandStorageReport5:SynthesisReport

•  GlobalCCSInsLtute•  WorleyParsons•  Schlumberger

•  Baker&McKenzie•  EPRI(ElectricPower

ResearchInsLtute)

“AuditfindshighriskofCO2captureprojectfailure”

Oct28,20099:37AM|ByMichaelPerry,Reuters

•  “Carboncaptureandstorageprojects,seenascrucialinthefightagainstglobalwarming,faceahighriskoffailureduetotheirhighcostsandshouldbeappliedacrossmanysectorstoensuresuccess,anauditsays.

•  Theworldneedstobuild100majorprojectsforcapturingandburyinggreenhousegasesby2020andthousandsmoreby2050tohelpcombatclimatechange,saystheInternaBonalEnergyAgency.

•  CarboncaptureandstoragecouldlowerCO2emissionsbyabout19%,itsays.”

•  h\p://www.globalccsinsLtute.com/downloads/Status‐of‐CCS‐WorleyParsons‐Report‐Synthesis.pdf

•  “TheauditsaidCCSprojectsfacedahighriskoffailure,duetothenewtechnologiesandhighcosts.

•  ThecostofpowergeneraBonatacoal‐firedplantrosebyupto78%withCCS,itsaid.

•  TheauditalsocitedtheunknownfuturevalueofCO2asahurdletoinvestmentinCCS.ItsaidthemarketpriceforcarbonrequiredtodevelopCCSinacoal‐firedplantwas$90/tonofCO2and$112/tonforanaturalgasplant.TheEuropeancarbonpriceclosedonTuesdayat$21/ton.“

ContribuBonoftechnologysegmentstoreduceCO2emissionsby

50percentby2050•  CCSindustryandtransformaLon9%•  CCSpowergeneraLon10%•  Nuclear6%•  Renewables21%•  PowergeneraLonefficiencyandfuelswitching7%

•  End‐usefuelswitching11%•  End‐useelectricityefficiency12%•  End‐usefuelefficiency24%Source:IEAEnergyTechnologyPerspec8ve,2008

So:

•  CCSisexpensive,unprovenatscale,andfarfromamagiccure,evenifitmayhavearoletoplay.

•  Weneedtousecoaloverthenexttwoorthreedecades,butasatransiLonfuelanddecliningamounts.

•  PreviouslyexternalizedcostsareincreasinglybeinginternalizedasciLzensandgovernmentsrecognizetheenvironmentalandhumancostsofthecoalcycle.AndthatprovidesopportuniLesforrenewablesandenergyefficiency.