Butte County's Biggest Polluter and How You May Be Exposed to - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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Jul 08, 2023 163 likes •478 views

The Story of Butte County's Biggest Polluter and How You May Be Exposed to Dioxins Butte Environmental Council Robyn DiFalco, Julia Murphy, Mark Stemen Butte Environmental Council Educating and Advocating for the land, air, and water in

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The Story of Butte County's Biggest Polluter

and How You May Be Exposed to Dioxins

Butte Environmental Council

Robyn DiFalco, Julia Murphy, Mark Stemen

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Butte Environmental Council

 Educating and Advocating for the land, air, and water

in Butte County and beyond

 A voice for the environment since 1975  Our work depends on volunteers, member donations,

grants, and fundraising

Butte Environmental Council

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The Story of POPI

 Pacific Oroville Power Industries (POPI)  Located in south Oroville  highway 7o Industrial Park  Biomass energy facility  First permitted in 1983  Covanta-owned since ‘97

Butte Environmental Council

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The Pacific Oroville Power Industries (POPI) plant consumes 28 tons

f fuel per hour

Butte Environmental Council

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Up to 30% urban wood waste

Construction &

demolition debris

 Recycling credits  Renewable energy

credits

Butte Environmental Council

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Bituminous coal

Butte Environmental Council

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So what happens to the waste?

 Covanta pays farmers $17/ton to take the

waste ash as fertilizer

Butte Environmental Council

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Waste ash: Hicks Ln, north Chico

 19,000 tons  20 ft high  Wider & longer than

a football field

Butte Environmental Council

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Digging for Dioxins

 District Attorney’s office investigating waste ash  Chromium, Arsenic, Copper, Aluminum and Lead found in

DA’s tests

Butte Environmental Council

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What’s the Current Status?

 September 2012 – Ash removal from Hicks Ln

 BEC tests show post-cleanup dioxin levels are higher than

background samples & that dioxin migrates as runoff

 December 2012 – POPI plant ceases operations “for

economic reasons”  Covanta retains permits, PG&E seeks revision of terms

Butte Environmental Council

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Wait…Can they do that?

 Facility is self-monitored  Full evaluation of exhaust

stacks last in 1988

 Reports to Butte County Air

Quality Management District

 POPI pays $12,000/year in

permit fees to BCAQMD

Butte Environmental Council

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What is Dioxin?

 Over 250 variations, or “congeners”  Agent Orange  Love Canal – Lois Gibbs

 the Center for Health & Environmental Justice

 Toxic & Controversial

Butte Environmental Council

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Why is Dioxin a Big Deal?

 Incinerator, Chemical Manufacturing industry by-product  Persistent in the environment  Persistent in animals and humans

Butte Environmental Council

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Butte Environmental Council

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Koppers Superfund Site

 Grant from The California Wellness Foundation  Dioxin Testing process  Agency Relations

Butte Environmental Council

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According to the Environmental Health Investigations Branch: “The US Food and Drug Administration (has also) considered commercial eggs adulterated at 1 ppt ITEQ.” (Environ. Sci. Technol.

2000, 34, 1143-1149)

Butte Environmental Council

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POPI / Covanta

 Deputy DA wanted to know what we knew  We began investigating, tested waste ash  OH, WHAAAT!!?? On Orchards and Farms??!

Butte Environmental Council

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Biomass is “green” energy

Butte Environmental Council

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Wood is “natural”

Butte Environmental Council

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But what about this?

Butte Environmental Council

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POPI ash tests revealed:

Butte Environmental Council

 Lead (most dominant due to old paint)  Copper  Arsenic  Chromium

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How about CO2 emissions?

Butte Environmental Council

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Burning wood in an incinerator to generate electricity produces more CO2 per unit of energy than a coal-fired power plant!

Butte Environmental Council

500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 3500 Incineration Coal-Fired Oil-fired Natural Gas

Carbon Dioxide Emissions by Energy Source (lbs/MWh)

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Saleable, my ash

Butte Environmental Council

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California’s Renewable Energy Requirements

Butte Environmental Council

 Established in 2002 by Senate Bill 1078, the State of

California Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) is one of the most ambitious renewable energy standards in the country, requiring electricity providers to increase the portion of energy from renewable sources to 20% by 2010 and to 33% by 2020.

 PG&E pays POPI a premium price for its power, and

includes it as part of its renewable portfolio.

 The agreement also requires POPI to run at full-capacity

regardless of local fuel availability

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POPI is dirty energy and should not be subsidized by PG&E

 Anything that creates

pollution in the course of producing electricity shouldn't be considered clean, green or renewable.

Butte Environmental Council

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Or by anybody, anywhere else!

Butte Environmental Council

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And question “green” technology

Butte Environmental Council

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What Next?

 Grant funding from Patagonia & Clif Bar  Measure human exposure & health impacts  Meet with elected officials and local regulators  Watch for reoperation of the POPI facility

Butte Environmental Council

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Questions? Contact…

Butte Environmental Council Robyn DiFalco, Julia Murphy, Mark Stemen www.becnet.org www.becnet.org/dioxin-butte-county 530-891-6424 staff@becnet.org

Butte Environmental Council