2 20 2013 bonnie whitesinger fp to nnc hold vote on ngs lease 4

7/29/2019 2 20 2013 Bonnie Whitesinger FP to NNC HOLD Vote on NGS Lease 4

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Bonnie Whitesinger, PresidentForgotten PeopleP.O. Box 1661

Tuba City, AZ [email protected]

(928) 401-9527 and (928) 401-1777

Dated 2/20/2013

Via Email:[email protected]

Dear Council delegates,

Re: Legislation 0042-13 5-day Comment period FOR THE OFFICIAL RECORD

Forgotten People submits these comments for the official record . President Ben Shelly hasalready signed the Navajo Generating Station lease renewal but the Navajo Nation Council hasyet to conduct review of the lease agreement. Forgotten People respectfully requests the CouncilDelegates place a hold VOTE for further study and review.

NGS air emissions are under scrutiny by EPA, regarding Grand Canyon visibility issues. AndNGS may be affected by other looming environmental regulations. These include the Clean AirTransport Rule, the proposed Coal Combustion Residuals rule, the proposed Tailoring Rule(covering greenhouse gas emissions), the Ozone NAAQS (National Ambient Air QualityStandards), the forthcoming National Emission Standard for Hazardous Air Pollutants(NESHAPs), and cooling water regulations under section 316(b) of the Clean Water Act.

According to a 2009 report by Environment America, "America's Biggest Polluters," the NavajoGenerating Station is the eighth dirtiest plant in the nation, releasing 20.1 million tons of carbondioxide in 2007. Ranking is based uponEnvironmental Protection Agencydata.[10]See:http://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy12osti/53024.pdf
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]://c/Users/mmonestersky/Documents/Opposing%20Peabody/NGS/navajonationcouncil.orghttp://c/Users/mmonestersky/Documents/Opposing%20Peabody/NGS/navajonationcouncil.orghttp://c/Users/mmonestersky/Documents/Opposing%20Peabody/NGS/navajonationcouncil.orghttp://c/Users/mmonestersky/Documents/Opposing%20Peabody/NGS/[email protected]://c/Users/mmonestersky/Documents/Opposing%20Peabody/NGS/[email protected]://c/Users/mmonestersky/Documents/Opposing%20Peabody/NGS/[email protected]://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Environmental_Protection_Agencyhttp://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Environmental_Protection_Agencyhttp://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Environmental_Protection_Agencyhttp://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Navajo_Generating_Station#cite_note-9http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Navajo_Generating_Station#cite_note-9http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Navajo_Generating_Station#cite_note-9http://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy12osti/53024.pdfhttp://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy12osti/53024.pdfhttp://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy12osti/53024.pdfhttp://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy12osti/53024.pdfhttp://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Navajo_Generating_Station#cite_note-9http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Environmental_Protection_Agencyhttp://c/Users/mmonestersky/Documents/Opposing%20Peabody/NGS/[email protected]://c/Users/mmonestersky/Documents/Opposing%20Peabody/NGS/navajonationcouncil.orgmailto:[email protected]


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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency proposed air pollution limits for Navajo GeneratingStation, one of the largest sources of harmful nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions in the country. Theaction aims to improve visibility, as required by Congress under the Clean Air Act, at 11 nationalparks and wilderness areas in the Southwest. Each year, more than 4 million people visit theGrand Canyon. However, many visitors cannot fully appreciate the spectacular vistas because of

the veil of white or brown haze that hangs in the air, reducing visibility and dulling the naturalbeauty. http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/0/0455EAE8D2B8539F85257AF70060F24D

In 2010, Abt Associates issued a study commissioned by the Clean Air Task Force, a nonprofitresearch and advocacy organization, quantifying the deaths and other health effects attributabletofine particle pollutionfrom coal-fired power plants.[7]Fine particle pollution consists of acomplex mixture ofsoot,heavy metals,sulfur dioxide, andnitrogen oxides. Among theseparticles, the most dangerous are those less than 2.5 microns in diameter, which are so tiny thatthey can evade the lung's natural defenses, enter the bloodstream, and be transported to vitalorgans. Impacts are especially severe among the elderly, children, and those with respiratorydisease.

The study found that over 13,000 deaths and tens of thousands of cases of chronic bronchitis,acute bronchitis, asthma, congestive heart failure, acute myocardial infarction, dysrhythmia,ischemic heart disease, chronic lung disease, and pneumonia each year are attributable to fineparticle pollution from U.S. coal plant emissions.

These deaths and illnesses are major examples of coalsexternal costs, i.e. uncompensated harmsinflicted upon the public at large.Low-income and minority populationsare disproportionatelyimpacted as well, due to the tendency of companies to avoid locating power plants upwind ofaffluent communities. To monetize the health impact of fine particle pollution from each coalplant, Abt assigned a value of $7,300,000 to each 2010 mortality, based on a range of

government and private studies. Valuations of illnesses ranged from $52 for an asthma episodeto $440,000 for a case of chronic bronchitis.[8]

Table 1: Death and disease attributable to fine particle pollution from Navajo Generating

Station

Type of ImpactAnnual

IncidenceValuation

Deaths 16 $120,000,000

Heart attacks 25 $2,800,000

Asthma attacks 300 $16,000

Hospital admissions 12 $270,000

Chronic bronchitis 11 $4,700,000

Asthma ER visits 15 $5,000

Source: Clean Air Task Force interactive table, accessed March 2011 Death and disease

attributable to fine particle pollution from Navajo (NGS) (health impacts from NGS)
http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/0/0455EAE8D2B8539F85257AF70060F24Dhttp://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/0/0455EAE8D2B8539F85257AF70060F24Dhttp://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Particulates_and_coalhttp://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Particulates_and_coalhttp://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Particulates_and_coalhttp://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Navajo_Generating_Station#cite_note-6http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Navajo_Generating_Station#cite_note-6http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Navajo_Generating_Station#cite_note-6http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Soothttp://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Soothttp://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Soothttp://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Heavy_metals_and_coalhttp://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Heavy_metals_and_coalhttp://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Heavy_metals_and_coalhttp://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Sulfur_dioxide_and_coalhttp://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Sulfur_dioxide_and_coalhttp://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Sulfur_dioxide_and_coalhttp://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Nitrogen_oxidehttp://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Nitrogen_oxidehttp://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Nitrogen_oxidehttp://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/External_costs_of_coalhttp://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/External_costs_of_coalhttp://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/External_costs_of_coalhttp://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Coal_plants_near_residential_areashttp://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Coal_plants_near_residential_areashttp://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Coal_plants_near_residential_areashttp://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Navajo_Generating_Station#cite_note-7http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Navajo_Generating_Station#cite_note-7http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Navajo_Generating_Station#cite_note-7http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Navajo_Generating_Station#cite_note-7http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Coal_plants_near_residential_areashttp://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/External_costs_of_coalhttp://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Nitrogen_oxidehttp://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Sulfur_dioxide_and_coalhttp://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Heavy_metals_and_coalhttp://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Soothttp://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Navajo_Generating_Station#cite_note-6http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Particulates_and_coalhttp://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/0/0455EAE8D2B8539F85257AF70060F24D


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http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Navajo_Generating_Station#Death_and_disease_at

tributable_to_fine_particle_pollution_from_Navajo

Water, at 8 pounds per gallon, is a heavy load when billions of gallons need to be lifted. As aresult, the largest share of energy to move it goes toward pumping. The NGS plant uses

approximately 28,000 acre-feet of water a year. The majority of the water is used to "make up"the water lost to evaporation from the six cooling towers which provide cooling water tocondense the steam exhausting from the turbines (which turn the generators, which provide theelectricity).http://www.srpnet.com/about/stations/navajo.aspx

Recommendations: Now is the time for the Navajo Nation to move to the forefront of

renewable energy and think green. There is a growing trend in the utility industry to convert

existing coal-fired power plants to burn what are, by some, considered to be more

environmentally-friendly fuel types, such as biomass and natural gas, though whether such

conversions are environmentally beneficial remains controversial. This trend is driven by a

number of factors, including state-level renewable portfolio standards; federal incentives andlooming environmental regulations; consumer demand and environmental awareness; and an

economic climate that is making coal less attractive.[1]

Although conversion costs can be expensive, utilities already have the facilities sited and water

supply and transmission lines established. Converting existing facilities can often cost less than

installing the emissions control systems required to keep an antiquated coal plant running.[2]

See:http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Coal_plant_conversion_projects

While the devastating effects of NGS air pollution is startling, even more insidious is NGSscontribution to the long-term threat of climate change. Allocating up to $1 billion in ratepayerfunds to extend ta lease for a climate-destroying coal facility is not the wise path forward.

A phased transition to renewables, involving the shut-down of one coal-burning unit (NGS hasthree), to be replaced with renewables, would protect Navajo and Hopi coal jobs and create newclean-tech jobs for tribal members. The replacement of a third of the facility with renewableenergy would also address health impacts, haze over the Grand Canyon, and crucially, climatepollution. Coal is too expensive and water is too expensive to use for generating power.

The DOI, EPA and the Department of Energy (DOE) have announced plans to convene aworking group of stakeholders to discuss the future and operations of the Navajo GeneratingStation (NGS). On Jan. 4, 2013, they released a joint statement laying out the agencies' shared

goals for the Navajo Generating Station (NGS) and energy production in the region served byNGS. In the statement, the three agencies agree to work together to support Arizona and tribalstakeholders in finding ways to produce "clean, affordable and reliable power, affordable andsustainable water supplies, and sustainable economic development, while minimizing negativeimpacts on those who currently obtain significant benefits from NGS, including tribal nations."
http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Navajo_Generating_Station#Death_and_disease_attributable_to_fine_particle_pollution_from_Navajohttp://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Navajo_Generating_Station#Death_and_disease_attributable_to_fine_particle_pollution_from_Navajohttp://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Navajo_Generating_Station#Death_and_disease_attributable_to_fine_particle_pollution_from_Navajohttp://www.srpnet.com/about/stations/navajo.aspxhttp://www.srpnet.com/about/stations/navajo.aspxhttp://www.srpnet.com/about/stations/navajo.aspxhttp://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Coal_plant_conversion_projects#cite_note-0http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Coal_plant_conversion_projects#cite_note-0http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Coal_plant_conversion_projects#cite_note-0http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Coal_plant_conversion_projects#cite_note-1http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Coal_plant_conversion_projects#cite_note-1http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Coal_plant_conversion_projects#cite_note-1http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Coal_plant_conversion_projectshttp://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Coal_plant_conversion_projectshttp://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Coal_plant_conversion_projectshttp://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Coal_plant_conversion_projectshttp://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Coal_plant_conversion_projects#cite_note-1http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Coal_plant_conversion_projects#cite_note-0http://www.srpnet.com/about/stations/navajo.aspxhttp://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Navajo_Generating_Station#Death_and_disease_attributable_to_fine_particle_pollution_from_Navajohttp://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Navajo_Generating_Station#Death_and_disease_attributable_to_fine_particle_pollution_from_Navajo


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Forgotten People believes the best solution is to develop an immediate term with a long-term

transition plan away from coal mining.

Please seek the support of and listen to the grassroots people who will no longer be IDLE and

demand Environmental and Economic/ Climate JUSTICE

Respectfully,

Bonnie Whitesinger, PresidentForgotten People

Copy: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected],[email protected], [email protected], [email protected],[email protected], [email protected], [email protected],[email protected], [email protected], [email protected],[email protected], [email protected], [email protected],

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