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Modesto Bee Sunday, October 6, 2002  See Also: 7/10/02 Modesto Bee Editorial 7/9/02 Modesto, CA: Stanislaus County Residents & Greenaction Press Conference in Modesto Challenges Giant Dump Proposal: read the Press Release and Background Info in Fight Against Proposed Giant Garbage and Sewage Sludge Dump 7/9/02 Modesto Bee Press Coverage
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New permit is sought for garbage plant By JOHN HOLLAND Air pollution regulators will hold a hearing Monday on a proposed new permit for the garbage-burning power plant near Crows Landing. West Side activists plan to use the event to express concerns about emissions, but representatives of the plant and the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District said the hearing is mainly a formality. The hearing is part of the process for considering a new five-year permit for the plant, operated by Covanta Energy for Stanislaus County and the city of Modesto. The new permit, showing how the plant would comply with the federal Clean Air Act, would not add major conditions or allow expansion of the operation, said Rick McVaigh, permit services manager for the district. Rather, he said, it would incorporate conditions already placed on the plant through other proceedings. The plant has drawn criticism from the Grayson Neighborhood Council and an Oakland-based group called Greenaction for Health and Environmental Justice. John Mataka, a leader in the Grayson group, said activists have had trouble getting information about what the plant has been emitting, including substances that might cause cancer or birth defects. He said the district is requiring the public to file a request under the state Public Records Act to obtain details. "We know that anytime you burn anything plastic, dioxin goes into the air," Mataka said. Jami Aggers, air quality compliance manager for the district, confirmed that a formal request is needed for detailed information. Brief summaries available Thursday said the plant has had nine violations since 1995 for sulfur dioxide, nitrous oxide and other indicators, but these records did not show the magnitude of the pollution. Karen Henry, business manager at the plant, said its overall performance is strong. "We have hundreds of limits we have to meet every day," she said. "We think our record is pretty good." The company, which operates 27 garbage-to-energy plants in the United States, notes that combustion at more than 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit reduces the waste to inert ash that is about 10 percent of the volume going in. The plants have devices for monitoring and controlling emissions from their stacks. Supporters of the plant say it will greatly extend the life of the adjacent landfill by burning up to 800 tons of garbage a day. The plant turns out up to 22.5 megawatts of electricity, earning money that the city and county use to keep garbage-collection rates in check. City and county officials have been looking at ways to attract garbage from other areas to the plant, which opened in 1989. West Side activists are skeptical of this, and they had a victory early last year when a proposal to burn medical waste was withdrawn in the face of protests. Monday's hearing will be at 5 p.m. at Bonita School, 425 Fink Road, Crows Landing. It is separate from a Tuesday night meeting of the county Board of Supervisors on the draft environmental report on expanding the landfill, which will be at 7 p.m. in Harvest Hall at the county Agricultural Center, 3800 Cornucopia Way, off Crows Landing Road south of Modesto. |