Invenergy natural gas power plant in Jessup PA spewing yellow plumes of NOx

From an Article by Scott Blanchard, NPR StateImpact PA, March 2, 2018

The PA Department of Environmental Protection has OK’d several permits for a proposed natural gas power plant in Berks County.

The PA DEP said in a news release that it approved permits for construction of the main plant, as well as for a power line and water and natural gas pipelines to the plant. The permits include Safe Drinking Water Permits, required because the Reading Area Water Authority will need to make upgrades to a pumping station and build the water pipeline.

The Birdsboro Power plant is expected to produce up to 485 megawatts of electricity, according to information from EmberClear Corp., which is developing the project. Lehigh Valley Business reported that the project capitalizes “on the abundance of gas extracted from fracking Marcellus shale in the region.” The company says the work has created 300 construction jobs and 25 permanent jobs.

The project has drawn criticism, including from the environmental group Delaware Riverkeeper Network. The plant is being built in the Schuylkill River floodplain, and the filling-in of the floodplain will make flooding worse in Birdsboro and downstream, the group says.

The company says the plant is expected to be up and running in May 2019.

PHOTO IN ARTICLE: A natural gas power plant under construction in Bradford County, Pa.

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Jessup frustrated with PA-DEP response to yellow smoke, health complaints at gas power plant

Article by Marie Cusick, NPR StateImpact PA, March 19, 2018

The Invenergy natural gas power plant in Jessup PA began spewing plumes of smoke in early March, prompting health complaints from nearby residents. The company says the emissions are temporary and part of a planned commissioning process.

Residents of Jessup say they are not satisfied with the response from the state Department of Environmental Protection, after a new natural gas power plant spewed yellow-colored smoke and prompted health complaints earlier this month.

The Invenergy plant being built in Lackawanna County started emitting noxious smoke on March 3. According to Jessup Borough Council President Jerry Crinella, DEP sent two people to investigate on March 6, but after they walked around, they said they couldn’t see or smell anything.

“I’m disappointed concerned citizens are not getting the information they’re asking for. We want to know what the readings were from the air monitors,” Crinella said. “The DEP is supposed to be there to protect the public, not the company.”

DEP spokeswoman Colleen Connolly declined to discuss the incident, and instead sent emailed statements. “Department believes plume is excess NOX [nitrogen oxides] as Invenergy is beginning to start up its turbines. No issues were reported to us,” Connolly wrote. “Department has asked Invenergy to provide a report on this. We are still waiting for the report.”

Connolly added there have been no complaints from residents since the original incident, and said she could not discuss specifics until the department receives the report from Invenergy.

The Chicago-based company emailed a statement earlier this month, spokesman Dan Ewan said the plant was undergoing a short-lived commissioning phase, which resulted in temporary noise and a visible vapor plume. He said there were no chemicals used during the process.

Jessup resident Rella Scassellati lives a half-mile from the plant and was among those who complained to the DEP about a burning in her nose, throat, sinuses, and chest. “I think every person who made a complaint deserved a response,” Scassellati said. “Nobody followed up with me.”

At 1,480 megawatts, the plant will be one of the largest gas-fired power plants in the United States. As StateImpact Pennsylvania and the Center for Public Integrity reported last year, the project has stirred controversy and upended local politics in the small town. It’s expected to be fully operational next year.

Borough council member Peter Larioni was voted into office last fall as a plant opponent. He said people are still reaching out to him asking about what was being emitted.

“The [DEP] guy said, ‘I didn’t smell anything.’” Larioni said. “How can he say that? Does he have a monitor up his nose?” According to Larioni, the borough is considering paying for its own air monitors near the plant.

 
EQT has sited 12 wells in a flood plain in Doddridge county, which may involve 60,000 cubic yards of fill into the flood plain. There has been flooding 3 times in the past ten years in this area.  An illinformed county official OK’d the site, jeopardizing the chances of families from obtaining flood insurance all over the county. The reason the whole county is involved is that the insurance in the flood plain is federal, based on a requirement the county maintain a permitting system with certain rules.  You violate those rules, the county looses government support.

So the County Commission rescinded the permit, and EQT is suing.  . . . . . Now the WV DEP has granted permits for the wells.
 
These siting engineers pick places to put wells day after day.  Most articles about this siting finesse the situation.  They fail to mention the huge fill involved. Stories such as the one in The State Journal lead the reader to assume the pad surface will be at the level of the flood plain.  I surmise that the author of that story, Pam Kasey, was the victim of the finesse by getting misleading information, rather than the one who promulgated  it.
 
Since the pad was designed with a fill, the engineers undoubtedly knew there was a high water problem.  They also most probably knew the situation with regard to how it should have been handled, and likely the vulnerability of the County government.  And they must be familiar with federal law concerning flood plains.
 
This may be example of a bunch of aggressive sharpies, perhaps the engineers but more likely the executives in charge, simply trying to pull a fast one.  They understood the situation, but thought they might get by with it.
 
Once again, where was the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection when citizens need protection?
 
The site is at:   39.1476412048538 -80.7909470392214   which you can find on Google Maps.  The stream flows West.

SkyTruth has documented this Marcellus shale gas well and location here. You can also locate the adjacent wells in this facility.

S. Tom Bond, Farmer, Citizen, Lewis County, WV