[Gasification] FYI

[Bill Klein]

  This sent to me by a friend. - bk

____________________________________
 From: Biomass Magazine - ] Two California Biomass plants fined for air violations


_http://www.biomassmagazine.com/articles/5287/two-california-biomass-plants-
fined-for-emissions-violations_ 
(http://www.biomassmagazine.com/articles/5287/two-california-biomass-plants-fined-for-emissions-violations) 
 
 
Two California biomass plants fined for emissions violations
By _Anna Austin_ (http://www.biomassmagazine.com/authors/view/Anna_Austin)  
| February 15, 2011

After completing a joint investigation, the U.S. EPA and the San Joaquin  
Valley Air Pollution Control District ordered two California biomass power  
plants to pay combined civil penalties of $835,000 to resolve alleged  
violations of the federal Clean Air Act and district rules, including excess  
emissions of air pollutants such as nitrogen oxides and fine particulates.  

The settlements require Ampersand Chowchilla Biomass LLC to pay a total of  
$343,000 and Merced Power LLC to pay $492,000. The companies are also 
required  to go through multiple steps to ensure future compliance, including  
installation of devices to improve monitoring and reporting of air pollutants, 
 enhancing automation of the control systems for nitrogen oxides emissions 
and  preparing more stringent control plans to minimize emissions of air  
pollutants. 

Both plants have already made progress in complying with EPA orders. The  
agency reported that so far, each have installed controls that reduce  
emissions of nitrogen oxides by up to 180 tons per year and carbon monoxide by  up 
to 365 tons per year. EPA and the district will continue to monitor both  
facilities for an additional two years to ensure completion of all  
requirements, EPA said. 

Both Ampersand Chowchilla Biomass and Merced Power are refurbished 12.5-  
megawatt wood-fired power plants that began operating in 2008, and are 
located  within 13 miles of each other in the San Joaquin Valley south of 
Sacramento.  Owned by Global Ampersand LLC, the power they generate is purchased by  
California's Pacific Gas and Electric Co. 

EPA spokeswoman Margot Perez-Sullivan said the plants were  investigated on 
a case-by-case basis so the agency could not presume anything  about Clean 
Air Act compliance of the biomass power industry in general. She  said due 
to the confidential nature of EPA's enforcement issues, it could not  provide 
any additional details on the investigation.  

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