[Gasification] Complex issue analysis

[Alex English]

Tom,
So can you provide a sample weighted formula out there for some specific 
circumstance that includes the regulated emissions of SOx,Nox,CO, CO2 
and PMx.x, mercury. I've not seen one in all the EPA stuff I've read.

Local public action is putting a stop to everything from windmills to 
tire burning at cement plants. These complex analysis are being 
successfully challenged,  and often never get to court because of 
weighted public relations or political calculations.

Alex

On 2/20/2011 11:23 AM, linvent at aol.com wrote:
> Dear Alex,
> In any complex analysis there needs to be a weighing factor assigned to
> each variable and then evaluated with this weight. Of course, any
> objection can be raised, but how valid is it? There are lots of folks in
> this world who have no real contribution to society and simply object to
> someone else doing something. They can't stand to see it. A lot of
> public hearings are witch hunts with someone in charge who knows the
> difference.
> Dust, road access, truck traffic, site particulate generation are all
> factors which are considered in at least an air permit for a facility.
> All of this is usually contemplated in the air emission permitting
> process and there is no magic in it, just complex rules which are
> created to define what the limits to a project are. The method of
> creating these rules and their completeness cannot be set aside by a
> group which thinks it has a better way. This actually is a pre-emption
> of federal regulations set forth for environmental standards and is
> inherently stupid and probably unconstitutional. An agency which sets up
> it's own environmental regulations without due process of setting
> standards, having hearings, etc. is not allowed under most State laws
> and certainly Federal. A competent court would have no trouble setting
> their actions aside.
> Sincerely,
> Leland T. "Tom" Taylor
> President
> Thermogenics Inc.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Alex English <english at kingston.net>
> To: Discussion of biomass pyrolysis and gasification
> <gasification at lists.bioenergylists.org>
> Sent: Sun, Feb 20, 2011 8:21 am
> Subject: Re: [Gasification] Emissions fines
>
> Tom,
>
> I spent some time with the Thurston County Moratorium link. I waded
> through the presentations then turned of the tv sound on Hockey Fight
> in Canada and listened to the audio from the very civil public hearings
> on the moratorium. There was a comment that the ratio of those
> for-and-against the moratorium on "biomass" was about 70-1. That sound
> about right. Non loggers and farmers to loggers and farmers. Can't do
> math to those who can. Uninformed to informed.
>
> How unfair, simplistic and cynical of me. I love trees and clean low
> CO2 air too.
>
> Perhaps they know at a deeper level that as a fossil/nuke society we are
> sinners and bioenergy talk is just a weak kneed genuflect towards the
> cross of sustainability and then back to work. We are going to heat our
> bricks and mortar,( or plastic tunnels :) one way or another, no
> sweaters required.
>
> To be fairer, many just thought the issue was complex and needed the
> extra time for more analysis. They quoted the Mass study on the biomass
> CO2 pulse, the lower efficiencies of electrical power generation from
> biomass, the concerns about PM 2.5, problems with dust at McNeil in
> Vermont, diesel truck emissions, and on. There are thoughtful responses
> to all points but inevitably they entail a cost/benefit analysis that
> provides fuel to both sides of the debate.
>
> Can we successfully weigh distant benefits with local costs? Is there
> any real way to weigh the raising one pollutant level against the
> lowering of another?
>
> It isn't getting any easier is it?
>
> Alex
>
>
>
>
>
> .
> On 2/19/2011 12:48 PM, Tom Miles wrote:
>
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