Town Spokesperson: Comments and suggestions
will be taken now from the community regarding NOx emission
reduction. Please introduce yourself and state your affiliation, if
any.
Small Coal-Burning Power Plant Representative (no NOx controls
installed): The price of electricity in Indiana is 5.3 cents
per kilowatt-hour, which is around half of that of the East Coast,
where the price ranges from 9.5 to 11.5 cents per kilowatt-hour. Our
plant strained to spend millions of dollars installing flue gas scrubbers
to reduce SOx emissions significantly and did so without a large increase
in the cost of electricity. Since we have completed the installation
of the SOx scrubbers, we would have to invest in additional technology
to reduce NOx emissions that will require several additional millions.
This cost cannot be absorbed by the plant after our recent investment
and will cause drastic electricity price increases. Many homeowners
are already on tight budgets and should not shoulder the cost when
electricity-generating plants are not the largest source of NOx. In
addition, the higher cost of electricity will discourage new businesses
and expansion of existing firms. That will hurt job creation and wage
growth.
Although electric plants are not mobile and therefore are easier
to target for restrictions, consider that utilities contribute less
than one-third of the NOx problem nationally. The burden of NOx reduction
should be spread around and not just targeted to electric utilities
and cement kilns.
Large Coal-Burning Power Plant Representative (NOx controls
installed): Although our utility has already made significant
efforts to reduce NOx emissions, in light of the current situation,
some NOx reductions from electric utilities are reasonable. The utility
industry has endorsed a statewide, annual average NOx emission rate.
We believe that all electric utilities should have the same allowed
NOx emission rate that we have achieved with our NOx controls.
Driver's Union Representative: If the numbers from
the EPA are lumped together, we see that 49 percent of the problem
comes from transportation and 46 percent comes from utilities and
industries. That is nearly even. It seems everyone should participate
in reducing emissions. The city could create a bus and train rapid
transit system, and people could be rewarded for carpooling or commuting
to work using rapid transit. We have needed a regional transportation
system for a long time and we now have a tremendous incentive to create
one.
Irate Resident: Why should we have to pay for any of
this? The majority of our traffic is trucks--just look at the expressway!
We should require all those trucks to pay for their pollution. Also,
think of how much pollution comes from Chicago! We are choking on
her exhaust and emissions. Chicago should have to clean up its act
first so smaller towns can determine if we are even part of the problem.
Cement Kiln Representative: I represent a large cement
kiln far from any of the ozone nonattainment regions in Indiana. The
cement industry has investigated reducing NOx emissions, but there
are very few options for kiln operators to employ. Most of the new
technology to control NOx emission has been developed for boilers
and doesn't apply to kilns.
I can represent one and only one cement kiln because every cement
kiln is unique in its process technology. Any NOx control technology
that might be developed for my plant probably wouldn't work at another
plant. It is unrealistic to specify one control technology for all
cement kilns and impractical to develop different technologies for
each cement kiln. An alternative approach is to allow each cement
kiln autonomy to determine how best to reduce NOx emissions. A less
flexible approach might reduce competitiveness and product quality
at smaller kilns.
National Trucking Association Representative: Heavy
duty diesel and gas trucks are mistakenly thought of as dirty. In
recent years, engine technology and good maintenance have created
a fleet of clean trucks used in long-distance hauling. In fact, 47
percent of NOx mobile emissions comes from cars and light duty trucks
(SUVs), while only 18 percent comes from heavy-duty diesel trucks
and buses. Furthermore, 30 percent of NOx mobile emission comes from
off-highway diesel equipment like the equipment used in the endless
road and building construction. The emissions from airports aren't
even considered, although we are contemplating enlarging the airport.
Doubting Resident: How can we be sure of all this information.
I can't even see NOx, so I'm not sure they're even there. My health
is just fine. Every week I read about some new scare in the newspaper
and the next week people are laughing about the incident. And what
about all the mathematical models predicting how much we need to reduce
NOx. Models are just that--models. They are not reality. How can we
be sure that we truly need to go to this expense for something that
isn't visible and for some predictions based on models?
Industry Lawyer: Petitions for review have been filed
in federal court to challenge the EPA's action in promulgating the
new ozone standards. The two major concerns are whether an "intelligible
principle" was used to set the new standard for ozone and whether
EPA's adoption of the new standards is within constitutional bounds.
The United States Court of Appeals blocked the EPA from enforcing
the new standard. The Supreme Court has agreed to examine these issues
and will likely rule on them next year.
Therefore, IDEM should take care to avoid submitting a SIP based
on these unaccepted stringent ozone standards. If the new ozone standard
is not upheld in court, the state will likely still be held to any
NOx SIP based on them. The SIP should state that Indiana's plan implements
current federal laws and standards, not EPA standards, which are not
upheld in court.
Business Leader: My small business is in the process
of expanding and I don't need surprises. I want to be involved in
the decisions being made, and I would like to be a leader in ensuring
clean air for our residents and for future generations, but I need
to establish my business first. If reductions are implemented across
the board for all businesses, I won't be able to expand. How can I
help our community if I can't get my feet on the ground?
High School Guidance Counselor: The EPA is making the
assumption that our most pressing concern at this time is ground-level
ozone and NOx pollution. However, if you look at the top causes of
deaths to our children in this region, it is not air pollution, it
is violent crime and automobile accidents. Can our community address
the issues that are most pressing instead of simply responding to
what the federal government mandates to be important?
Town Spokesperson: Thank you all for your valuable
comments. We have recorded them for further study. Now it is time
for us to determine which NOx emission sources to control. IDEM will
determine the reductions for each source. Please speak up as to which
sources you would like to be included and then everyone will have
up to four votes. No more than one vote may be given to any one source.
The votes will be tabulated and the sources listed in order of total
votes and used by IDEM to create the NOx State Implementation Plan.
