EPD Issues Final Permits
Georgia Environmental Protection Division issues final permits for Plant Washington
Based on public comments and in accordance with EPD requirements, Power4Georgians makes significant modifications to air and water standards to achieve superior permits
(Sandersville, Ga – April 8, 2010) – Power4Georgians LLC today announced the Georgia
Environmental Protection Division (EPD) has issued final permits for the operation of Plant
Washington, an 850 Megawatt coal-fired energy facility in Washington County, Georgia.
The permits issued by EPD today to Power4Georgians, LLC, include Prevention of Significant
Deterioration (PSD) permit for air quality; National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System
(NPDES) permit for water discharge; a groundwater withdrawal permit; a surface water
withdrawal permit; and a notice of site suitability for the solid waste handling facility.
The permits are the culmination of more than two years of work by Power4Georgians’
development team not only to meet but to exceed Georgia EPD’s rigorous air and water quality
standards. Although the air and water standards in Plant Washington’s draft permits, issued by
EPD in August 2009, represented standards that are acceptable under the strictest guidelines of
the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Power4Georgians continued to work to reduce
emissions levels further while also developing an unprecedented water management strategy.
“We made significant and positive changes in our application to make our permits among the very
best, if not the best, in the country,” said Dean Alford, spokesman for Power4Georgians. “We
responded to suggestions raised with regard to air and water and now have exceptional
standards that far exceed the strictest federal regulations for protection of human health and the
environment.”
Through careful review of more than two-and-a-half years of testing data, as well as an evaluation
of the technology and coal types to be used, Power4Georgians was able to devise a strategy that
produced significant reductions of the emissions levels contained in the draft permit. As a result,
Plant Washington’s overall emissions profile based upon the final permit will be among the lowest
that has ever been proposed for a coal-fired power plant in the United States.
For example, preliminary evaluations conducted in the fall of 2007 – before the initial permit
application was filed with EPD in January 2008 – placed the maximum annual emission of
mercury at 122 pounds; that level was reduced to 106 pounds per year in the draft permit.
Depending on the blend of fuel used, Georgia EPD’s final permit will limit Plant Washington’s
mercury emissions to between 62.2 and 55.6 pounds annually – roughly half the original mercury
emissions levels.
In addition, developers were able to devise an unprecedented water management strategy to
conserve and reuse water, reduce water withdrawal from the environment and allow zero
discharge of stormwater from the plant site.
To accomplish these water management standards, what had been stormwater runoff retention
ponds in the draft permit were converted to stormwater collection and storage ponds. Collected
stormwater will be able to be reused at the plant, reducing the use of river water and
groundwater. In addition, by using the stormwater as makeup water for the plant, there will be
zero discharge of process or contact water to either the Ogeechee or Oconee river basins.
“These permits demonstrate that the process works,” Alford said. “In the months since we
received the draft permits, we listened closely to Georgia citizens and the EPD and conducted the
engineering work to ensure a much more stringent level of operational and environmental
standards. I am pleased to report that we achieved every objective.”
A key component to Power4Georgians’ success in obtaining final permits for Plant Washington
from the EPD was its development team. These organizations, each with their own unique
expertise, included: Allied Energy Services, BLACKACRE, Cookerly Public Relations, Energy
Consulting Group, Fluor Corp., King & Spalding law firm and MACTEC Engineering.
When construction begins, the plant is expected to take approximately four years to build and will
create up to 1,600 professional construction and skilled trade jobs. When complete, Plant
Washington is expected to create between 120 and 130 new jobs onsite, as well as an additional
200 to 300 new secondary jobs in supporting businesses and industries. The plant will generate
enough electricity to meet the annual needs of 500,000 to 700,000 Georgia homes.
About Power4Georgians
Power4Georgians is a consortium of Georgia EMCs that have partnered to develop and
implement a comprehensive energy strategy to meet the growing demand for affordable and
reliable electricity for the members they serve. One of the key components of their strategy is the
development of a new base-load power plant. Plant Washington is an 850 megawatt, highly
efficient, supercritical coal-fired power plant located near Sandersville in Washington County. For
more information visit www.power4georgians.com.
Download a copy of the News Release.
For more information about Plant Washington, visit: www.Power4Georgians.com
For more information about the Plant Washington Permits, visit:
http://www.georgiaair.org/airpermit/html/permits/psd/dockets/plantwashington/index.htm
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