The Antelope Valley Times

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Lawsuit challenges air-pollution permit for Palmdale gas-fired power plant

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LOS ANGELES – Four conservation and public health groups sued the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Friday for approving a permit for a new gas-fired power plant in Palmdale.

The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, claims the EPA failed to adequately consider requiring clean-energy alternatives relying on battery storage that would limit further deterioration of the region’s already unhealthy air quality.

“Local residents are contending with some of the worst ozone and PM pollution in the country; EPA’s decision allows massive more health-damaging air pollution to be spewed into the air we breath,” said Jane Williams, executive director of California Communities Against Toxics. “EPA seems determined to keep the wheels on this highly polluting, jalopy technology.”

In response, the EPA said that it looked forward to arguing its position before the appellate panel.

The lawsuit was triggered by the EPA’s decision in April 2018 to issue a “prevention of significant deterioration” permit for a combined-cycle gas-fired power plant in Palmdale. The “deterioration” permit is only required in areas that already have bad air pollution.

In approving the permit, the agency not only rejected the use of battery-storage technology to reduce emissions but failed to accurately account for cumulative emissions in the area, Williams said.

The Center for Biological Diversity, Desert Citizens Against Pollution, California Communities Against Toxics and Sierra Club appealed that permit decision to the EPA’s Environmental Appeals Board, which upheld the permit.

“The whole point of the air-permitting process is to limit new pollution in areas that are already suffering from bad air quality,” said Neil Carman of the Sierra Club. “By failing to consider new control technologies to reduce pollution when it reviewed this permit, EPA ignored the very purpose of the program.”

According to the Center for Biological Diversity, air pollution in the region would worsen as a result of the EPA’s approval of the permit.

“It’s appalling that the Trump EPA rubber-stamped more emissions that will worsen Southern California’s air quality,” said Lisa Belenky, a senior attorney for the center. “There’s no excuse for approving more dirty fossil-fuel emissions when cleaner, safer technologies are available.”

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39 comments for "Lawsuit challenges air-pollution permit for Palmdale gas-fired power plant"

  1. Jason forgot to take his medication and is mixing his projects again trying to sell the Campus property that only he supports. Wonder how much commission he will receive if it sells.

  2. Y’all realize that when you backed Ledford in 2013, by 63% to build the power plant that it required solar. Now that the new owners took over, it’s natural gas; “The Summit Group,” based out of Seattle. So all of you complaining about solar panels didn’t mind when you backed Ledford. Well, you’re going to get exactly what you want, even though it’s the wrong place to have a power plant. When the disaster happens, and it will, you’ll all be crying, and blaming everyone but yourselves.

    • Disaster? Let me guess. The Black Swan is on your nightstand. Your DVD player is ready to play An Inconvenient Truth. You believe Bangladesh is going to disappear in your lifetime. You just got finished watching Live Free or Die Hard.

      Take a deep breath. There hasn’t been a “disaster” at a natural gas power disaster and there won’t be. They have these things called safety valves that work like magic.

  3. The Powere Plant is one of the biggest boondoggle’s that ever happened on AV. Spending $5 Million local taxpayer’s dollars on 60 acres for a Palmdale College campus on the San Andreas earthquake fault rupture zone is #1.

    Ledford was the worst thing that ever happened in AV and this is another example. This project was a dishonest from day one. It never benifited Palmdale residents just a handful of outside investors. We get polluted for LA for no benifit. Why? The site for the Power was suppose to be out on 110th Street East and Ave P. Away from population and close to natural gas line, recycled water line and transmission lines. Put the behind the door land deal where everybody got paid was on Ave M and 10th St East Challenger. That is the true story another backroom payoff AV land deal with taxpayer’s money.

  4. Palmdale Power plant is now owned by “Summit Group.” Every board member is a Republican with ties to D.C.. They know it’s the wrong place to have this plant. All about the revenue, and don’t care about the health of families.

    • I used to live in Burbank not far from the power plant. It was converted to natural gas years ago. Never any problems. If there were you could bet that some ambulance chasing lawyers would be all over it.

    • LA Times story this morning: “Los Angeles is abandoning a plan to spend billions of dollars rebuilding three natural gas power plants along the coast.”

  6. Most readers miss that this is a mixed generation plant consisting of mirrored heated turbine drive which can be set up to use stored energy into the night then gas fired when it is too cloudy or for longer nights. It is not meant to be primarily gas fired.

  7. “Earthjustice,” is the legal backbone representing these environmental groups. They are not a frivolous bunch of lawyers, like the one you keep mentioning.

  8. Natural gas is a fossil fuel that consists mainly of Methane, which is a highly flammable gas. Burning natural gas releases greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change. It does not matter whether this power plant is in Palmdale or Lancaster, because the air quality will affect the entire A.V. The effects of natural gas exposure at low levels have many detrimental health effects, but you can still live. High exposure to natural gas can cause death, and long lasting health effects if you live. Some of you won’t pay attention to the real dangers of this power plant, and some will.

    • “High exposure” to water can cause death. It’s called drowning. I don’t think that anyone is suggesting massive releases of natural gas that would suffocate people. Yes, it is highly flammable which is what makes it viable for burning in a power plant.

      On the exhaust gases…what specifically is your concern? “Greenhouse gasses” are a cumulative environmental problem as they collect in the upper atmosphere, not an “air quality throughout the AV” issue. Of all the fossil fuels available natural gas produces the least greenhouse gas emissions, so every natural gas plant that prevents a coal or oil fired plant from being needed is a net win.

      Some people will blow up the ‘dangers’ so they can score a political point, while ignoring the fact that every natural gas plant not built extends the life of a coal plant somewhere.

      • Well said, Tim Scott. The fastest way to retire coal power plants is to replace them with natural gas power plants until it is practical, feasible, and economical to store energy produced from solar and wind. Solar, as someone pointed out, is not without environmental impact. To obtain the materials needed to produce panels requires an enormous outlay of energy and significantly alters the terrain. Here in the Antelope Valley and the Southwest, the effects of Valley Fever are an unintended consequence.

      • You two need to read the article again. They are suing to revert back to coal. As far as Valley Fever, maybe you should consider every residential area that we live in that kicks up dust while building all those homes, malls, grocery stores, hospitals, etc., for your comfort. five hundred thousand plus people need a place to live.

        • Not sure what article you are reading, but this is a natural gas power plant, not a coal fired power plant. Coal never was and never will be the energy source. Valley Fever has not been as big an issue as it has been as of late when our beautiful western Antelope Valley began being transformed into an ugly repository of solar panels sending electricity to LA while leaving us with dust, dirt, eyesores, and Valley Fever.

          • Thank you Kathy “job killer” MaClaren and Mayor Rex Parris for the Solor eyesore on the West side of our AV. They both have ruined our Westside.

    • Learn to swim, Tim. There’s a big difference. Read about fracking, and how many chemicals are leaked into our ground water, while extracting natural gas. You must be talking about Democrats, because these environmental groups support governor Newsom, and are against Trump.

    • Methane is also one of the byproducts of flatulence. With over 6 billion people and billions of animals passing methane laden gas daily, we are doomed. Doomed!

  9. The only thing ‘green’ about rex parris are his eyes. He’s jealous of Mayor Ledford and Palmdale.

  10. “It’s appalling that the Trump EPA rubber-stamped more emissions that will worsen Southern California air quality.” Neil Carmen of the Sierra Club.

  11. At least one of these environmental groups endorsed our new governor. They are also against Trump’s anti-environmental roll-backs for fossil fuels.

  12. Trump is anti-environment, and I am happy to see these groups suing the “EPA.” I’m also happy to see some of these groups suing over land that will be affected by the “wall.”

    • Let me guess, Alexis. You don’t drive a car. You walk everywhere you go. You heat your water by the sun. You don’t use electricity at night. You don’t go to restaurants, stores, medical centers, or any other place that uses natural gas or fossil fuel powered electricity, right?

      You, like these others, are a hypocrite.

      Natural gas is proven to be the cleanest burning fossil fuel available. It’s so clean you can burn it in your house if you have a gas stove. When used in the place of coal or oil to generate electricity, the carbon emissions are reduced by up to 70%. Natural gas helps make solar and wind viable since solar and wind are not always producing electricity.

      If this were a coal-fired plant, I’d be on your side. If this were an oil-fired plant, I’d be on your side. It’s natural gas.

      Do your homework.

      • I did do my homework, and I stand by my comment. I’m not building a power plant, and I leave a very small carbon footprint. I hope the environmental groups win. You can call me a hypocrite allll day long. Yes, again, I did do my homework, and came up with a different opinion than yours.

      • “Union of Concerned Scientists.” No, gas-fired power plants are not clean. Also, the myriad of chemicals used to extract natural gas is destroying our ground water, and wells. These environmental groups need to keep up the pressure. Calling someone a hypocrite is juvenile name-calling.

        • No form of energy generation is without an impact. The mining done to acquire minerals to make solar panels has an impact. The disposal of old and broken toxic solar panels is an impending problem. Nuclear energy produces no emissions but has the issue of waste storage. Wind farms kill birds. Natural gas leaves CO2 but at a much smaller footprint than oil and coal.

          • Solar panels have a 30 year commercial life and then are grabbed up by hobbyists, and people that can’t afford a new system. Solar panels don’t stop working when they get old, they just keep working at a lower power.

            Dead or broken panels are ground up and melted down since they are mostly glass and copper. The remaining melted materials offset the cost of making new panels.

            The serious mining for rare materials is more for the manufacture of computers, flat screens and electronics.

            For every “ONE” wind turbine bird kill, Communication Towers kills 250, Pesticides kill 700, Vehicles kill 700, High Tension Lines kill 800, Cats kill 1,000, and Buildings/Windows kill 5,500.

            There is a lot of propaganda in this area generated by fossil fuel companies that fear losing their place at the top.

  13. Rex is still supporting these groups to fight Palmdale. Doesn’t look like our City Council can stand up to him as they think he wants to be partners. Palmdale is in trouble.

    • Palmdale is in worse trouble than you think…our city council IS his partners. Wrecks has looted Lancaster, and now he and his new partners are going to loot Palmdale the exact same way.

  14. I bet dollars to donuts that these folks showed up in court after driving their gasoline powered cars or flying in on a fossil fueled airplane. You can see Lyle driving around Lancaster in his gasoline powered car. Cars produce more carbon emissions than natural gas powered power plants.

    No doubt Rex i behind this. He likes to act like he’s all green, but his electric car gets charged at night by fossil fuels just like his private plan runs on petro and his beach house is powered by the grid.

    Bunch of hypocrites.

    • I think Rex only pretends to hate the power plant, so that when he is profiting off of it, he can claim it was all Palmdales fault.