January 2, 2024
Scotia biomass plant tried to underreport its toxic emissions.
Air district approved, but state intervened.
Humboldt Sawmill's biomass plant submitted a plan to undercount its emissions of air toxic pollutants and the North Coast Unified Air Quality Management District rubber stamped it. Reporting toxic emissions is part of a state law adopted to protect communities from toxic pollution. The law requires some of the plant's toxic emissions to be measured directly but for other toxic compounds like PCBs, the plant chose emissions factors (pounds of pollution per ton of wood burned) one hundred thousand to one million times lower than those adopted by the California Air Resource Board (CARB) and the EPA for wood burning power plants. In some cases these choices appear to be gross errors and in others they are a consequence of rejecting EPA emissions factors in favor of those from new biomass plants. As biomass plants age, their efficiency decreases and toxic emissions rise, because most air toxics result from incomplete combustion. The 38 year old Scotia plant was 24% efficient when new. According to data from the California Energy Commission, its efficiency has now declined to 14%.
In response to a complaint from HCCE, the California Air Resource Board has intervened and is "assisting" the air district in selecting more realistic toxic emission factors. The air district is 20 years behind in complying with a state law that requires assessment of community health risk from power plant toxic emissions every 4 years.
Scotia biomass plant tried to underreport its toxic emissions.
Air district approved, but state intervened.
Humboldt Sawmill's biomass plant submitted a plan to undercount its emissions of air toxic pollutants and the North Coast Unified Air Quality Management District rubber stamped it. Reporting toxic emissions is part of a state law adopted to protect communities from toxic pollution. The law requires some of the plant's toxic emissions to be measured directly but for other toxic compounds like PCBs, the plant chose emissions factors (pounds of pollution per ton of wood burned) one hundred thousand to one million times lower than those adopted by the California Air Resource Board (CARB) and the EPA for wood burning power plants. In some cases these choices appear to be gross errors and in others they are a consequence of rejecting EPA emissions factors in favor of those from new biomass plants. As biomass plants age, their efficiency decreases and toxic emissions rise, because most air toxics result from incomplete combustion. The 38 year old Scotia plant was 24% efficient when new. According to data from the California Energy Commission, its efficiency has now declined to 14%.
In response to a complaint from HCCE, the California Air Resource Board has intervened and is "assisting" the air district in selecting more realistic toxic emission factors. The air district is 20 years behind in complying with a state law that requires assessment of community health risk from power plant toxic emissions every 4 years.
December 28, 2024
Humboldt Coalition for Clean Energy petitions EPA about plant's failure to upgrade pollution controls
The Humboldt Coalition for Clean Energy is petitioning the EPA to object to a recent decision by the North Coast Unified Air Quality Management District that will allow the biomass plant to emit 5 times more pollution. Installing new equipment will allow the plant to run 3 wood burning boilers at the same time. Air district rules require an upgrade to the best available pollution controls, but the district didn't make the biomass plant do this, so HCCE is appealing their decision to the EPA.
Humboldt Coalition for Clean Energy petitions EPA about plant's failure to upgrade pollution controls
The Humboldt Coalition for Clean Energy is petitioning the EPA to object to a recent decision by the North Coast Unified Air Quality Management District that will allow the biomass plant to emit 5 times more pollution. Installing new equipment will allow the plant to run 3 wood burning boilers at the same time. Air district rules require an upgrade to the best available pollution controls, but the district didn't make the biomass plant do this, so HCCE is appealing their decision to the EPA.
Eureka Times Standard December 14, 2024.
Air quality district must act on 2 decade old permit renewal for Scotia biomass mill
The mill has operated on the same permit it received before the 21st century because the North Coast Air Quality Management District never took action on its 2003 permit renewal application.
(Jackson Guilfoil/Times-Standard)
Air quality district must act on 2 decade old permit renewal for Scotia biomass mill
The mill has operated on the same permit it received before the 21st century because the North Coast Air Quality Management District never took action on its 2003 permit renewal application.
(Jackson Guilfoil/Times-Standard)