Violating emission limits for burning coal will cost MSU at least $27,000 as the university works to correct errors made at the T.B. Simon Power Plant two years ago.
The Department of Natural Resources and Environment, or DNRE, is requiring MSU to correct two violations of its renewable operating permit under the Environmental Protection Act. The university also must pay a $27,000 penalty settlement.
The violations, which occurred in spring 2008, involve improper blending of coal that produced excess sulfur dioxide emissions and burning wet coal that produced excess nitrogen oxide emissions.
According to the report, a violation notice was sent April 2, 2009.
The Department of Environmental Quality, or DEQ, originally handled the issue. The DEQ merged with the Department of Natural Resources in January to form the DNRE.
A public hearing held Wednesday in Lansing by the DNRE addressed the final draft of a consent order regarding the violations.
The improper blending of coal will require a change in process, said DNRE Air Quality Division Chief G. Vinson Hellwig, and as a result the university has been asked to take corrective action.
“They should have been doing it properly already,” Hellwig said. “I don’t know what happened when the errors occurred, but they must take actions to change this.”
Karen Zelt, an MSU Physical Plant Division spokeswoman, said the violation occurred when the plant bought “bad coal” and MSU has corrected the issue.
“The continuous emissions monitoring system alerted us that we had exceeded the emissions limit,” Zelt said. “We stopped doing business with the vendor and self-reported to the DEQ.”
The wet coal issue was caused by precipitation falling on uncovered coal.
In response to the violation, the DNRE required the plant “to install and maintain a permanent physical structure that will cover and protect” coal from precipitation, according to a report by the DEQ.
Zelt said the plant has complied with this demand and now houses their coal and biomass inside a structure built after the sulfur dioxide violation occurred.
“We’ve realized the two issues that we’ve had,” Zelt said. “We’ve tried to correct them as soon as possible with an eye to the future.”
MSU will pay the $27,000 to the State of Michigan General Fund. Hellwig said this amount is calculated using a federal penalty policy determined by EPA guidelines. The consent order also stipulates that failure to comply with the DEQ’s requirements could result in fines of up to $1,000 each day.
As an additional part of the consent order, the university will be required to discontinue operation at the unit where sulfur dioxide-heavy coal had been burned until a new monitoring system is implemented.
The order also requires the university to discontinue operation until the university “implements additional purchasing control measures” which will lessen the chances of receiving non-compliant coal in the future.
Michael McClellan, an environmental quality analyst for the DNRE, said the hearing allowed the public to voice its opinion about the consent order draft.
“The hearing will address a final copy of the consent agreement,” McClellan said. “The decision-maker, Vince Hellwig, will take into account public comments before making a decision.”
Representatives from MSU student groups advocating an MSU move off coal energy attended the hearing and were involved in the public comment section.
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“We want to make sure the consent does not get signed,” English sophomore Talya Tavor said. “We don’t want (MSU) to pay $27,000 and move on. We want a more permanent change.”
Hellwig said he has yet to make a decision on the final consent order, but that he was taking public comments from the hearing into consideration. He declined to comment on a time period in which a final decision would be reached.
“We don’t usually get comments,” Hellwig said, “We’re going to look into some of the good points made today.”
