Sandi Tabor V.P. Government Affairs Lignite Energy Council Sandi Tabor V.P. Government Affairs Lignite Energy Council Environmental Issues

 Water quality  Waste management  Air quality  Global Climate Change  Water quality  Waste management  Air quality  Global Climate Change

Water is essential for use in the process of generating electricity  Processes include  Cooling water  Steam turbines  Drinking / sanitary uses  Fire protection  Environmental impacts  Intake structure designs  Heat Water is essential for use in the process of generating electricity  Processes include  Cooling water  Steam turbines  Drinking / sanitary uses  Fire protection  Environmental impacts  Intake structure designs  Heat Water

Coal Combustion Products (CCPs)  The solid residue left when combustible material is thoroughly burned includes:  Fly ash  Bottom ash  Boiler slag  Material generated through flue gas cleaning  Flue gas desulfurization material - gypsum Coal Combustion Products (CCPs)  The solid residue left when combustible material is thoroughly burned includes:  Fly ash  Bottom ash  Boiler slag  Material generated through flue gas cleaning  Flue gas desulfurization material - gypsum Waste Management

Beneficial Uses of Coal Combustion Products

Air Quality Federal Clean Air Act regulates criteria pollutants -  National Ambient Air Quality Standards;  Carbon monoxide  Lead  Nitrogen dioxide  Particulate matter  Ozone  Sulfur dioxide Federal Clean Air Act regulates criteria pollutants -  National Ambient Air Quality Standards;  Carbon monoxide  Lead  Nitrogen dioxide  Particulate matter  Ozone  Sulfur dioxide

Air Quality  Clean Air Act:  Designed to protect citizens including the most sensitive (children, people with asthma & older adults) individuals from air pollution  Clean Air Act:  Designed to protect citizens including the most sensitive (children, people with asthma & older adults) individuals from air pollution Google Earth Emission file:

Sources of Emissions Source: EPA Total Emissions 155,921 79,515 14,583 6,630 5,155 2,282 1, Tons Carbon Monoxide Emissions by Source Sector in North Dakota in 2005

Sources of Emissions Source: EPA Total Emissions Tons Lead Emissions by Source Sector in North Dakota in 2005

Sources of Emissions Source: EPA Total Emissions 14,193 12,687 4,790 3,516 3,180 1, Tons Volatile Organic Compounds by Source Sector in North Dakota in 2005

Sources of Emissions Source: EPA Total Emissions 36,533 8,436 6,397 5,745 4,590 1, Tons PM2.5 Emissions by Source Sector in North Dakota in 2005

Particulate Matter

Sources of Emissions Source: EPA Total Emissions 137,372 12,013 5,996 3, Tons Sulfur Dioxide Emissions by Source Sector in North Dakota in 2005

Sources of Emissions Source: EPA Total Emissions 76,384 59,714 19,780 10, Tons Nitrogen Oxides Emissions by Source Sector in North Dakota in 2005

Air is Getting Cleaner  Industry has met greater electric demand with increasingly cleaner technologies Source: EPA data 2008 Since 1980 Vehicle Miles Traveled 91% U.S. Energy Consumption 29% U.S. GDP Increased 126% Aggregate Emissions Decreased 54%

SO 2 Emissions Trend in ND Source: ND Department of Health * Reductions estimated based on new scrubbers * Utility Total Tons Per Year 185K 138K 51K

Air Quality - TR National Park

ND Lignite Industry: Exceeding Environmental Expectations North Dakota is one of only 12 states to meet all the federal ambient air quality standards Source: EPA, May 1, 2010

Air Monitoring Activity  Build your own “air monitors”  Materials:  Container (milk carton or coffee can)  String (for hanging) or pole  Black permanent marker  Vaseline  Hole punch  Magnifying lens  Build your own “air monitors”  Materials:  Container (milk carton or coffee can)  String (for hanging) or pole  Black permanent marker  Vaseline  Hole punch  Magnifying lens

Mercury EPA’s concern about mercury  Bioaccumulates in food chain  Human exposure through fish consumption  Mercury is a neurotoxin  Selenium protects against mercury toxicity – ND soils are high in selenium EPA’s concern about mercury  Bioaccumulates in food chain  Human exposure through fish consumption  Mercury is a neurotoxin  Selenium protects against mercury toxicity – ND soils are high in selenium

Selenium in Soils

Background: Mercury is a global issue  Estimated tons emitted worldwide from all sources – natural & man-made  Estimated 1/3 from natural sources; 2/3 from human activities  U.S. contribution is about 3%  Nationwide coal-fired utilities account for about 48 tons - about 1% of worldwide total mercury release  North Dakota utilities account for 1 ton, about 0.02% of worldwide total mercury release Background: Mercury is a global issue  Estimated tons emitted worldwide from all sources – natural & man-made  Estimated 1/3 from natural sources; 2/3 from human activities  U.S. contribution is about 3%  Nationwide coal-fired utilities account for about 48 tons - about 1% of worldwide total mercury release  North Dakota utilities account for 1 ton, about 0.02% of worldwide total mercury release Mercury is a Global Issue

Mercury Deposition % contribution by non-U.S. sources, 2004

Regional Haze  Goal - return all national parks and wilderness areas (Class 1) to natural conditions by the year 2064  States - establish goals and emission reduction using best available retrofit technology (BART)  Goal - return all national parks and wilderness areas (Class 1) to natural conditions by the year 2064  States - establish goals and emission reduction using best available retrofit technology (BART)

Regional Haze Regional Haze Sources  Fossil fuels combustion  Open burning  Agriculture  Unpaved roads  Oil and gas extraction  Motor vehicles Regional Haze Sources  Fossil fuels combustion  Open burning  Agriculture  Unpaved roads  Oil and gas extraction  Motor vehicles

Regional Haze 30 dV visibility vs 10 dV Courtesy of ENSR

Regional Haze 1.4 dV Change

Regional Haze Challenge for ND  Already clean air upon which to improve  Significant distances to Class I areas  Small industry base  Crop burning  Prairie fires  Unpaved roads Challenge for ND  Already clean air upon which to improve  Significant distances to Class I areas  Small industry base  Crop burning  Prairie fires  Unpaved roads

Global Climate Change

Controversy Abounds

Web Sites of Interest  Environmental Protection Agency:  Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change:  Junk Science: All the Junk that’s Fit to Debunk  Space and Science Research Center:  The Skeptical Environmentalist – Bjorn Lomborg

 Man-made carbon dioxide emissions are less than 3% of total annual CO 2 emissions Issue in Perspective Man-made 2.9% Natural 97.1%  United States makes up 23% of the 2.9 percent

Sources of U.S. Man-made CO 2 Electricity – 40% Transportation – 34% Industrial – 17% Residential – 6% Commercial – 3% Source: EIA 2007

Sources of ND Man-made CO 2 Electricity – 59% Transportation – 13% Industrial – 24% Residential – 2% Commercial – 2% Source: EIA 2007

Sources of MN Man-made CO 2 Electricity – 34% Transportation – 36% Industrial – 15% Residential – 9% Commercial – 6% Source: EIA 2007

CO 2 Emissions: US vs. China & India – ( ) Source: Energy Information Administration (EIA), International Energy Annual 2002 & International Energy Outlook

Projected Global Energy Demand Projected 10-Year Growth in Per Capita Energy Use EIA: 3.5 Billion People to Increase Energy Use by 60% in 10 Years 12% 5% 17% 27% 20% 7% 13% 33% 88% 36% 4% 37%

What is the Problem?  No commercially available technology to capture CO 2 from pulverized coal power plants  Risks associated with sequestering the CO 2 in geologic formations  Global issue requires global solution  Current solutions being considered by Congress not addressing economic impact  No commercially available technology to capture CO 2 from pulverized coal power plants  Risks associated with sequestering the CO 2 in geologic formations  Global issue requires global solution  Current solutions being considered by Congress not addressing economic impact

CO 2 Storage Activity  Goal: Students learn about geologic sequestration as a technique used to reduce carbon dioxide in the atmosphere  Objectives: Students will …  Understand geologic sequestration as an idea being considered to reduce carbon dioxide in the atmosphere  Use chemistry to simulate enhanced oil recovery  Goal: Students learn about geologic sequestration as a technique used to reduce carbon dioxide in the atmosphere  Objectives: Students will …  Understand geologic sequestration as an idea being considered to reduce carbon dioxide in the atmosphere  Use chemistry to simulate enhanced oil recovery

Solutions - Actions  What can industry do?  What can government do?  What can consumers do?  What can industry do?  What can government do?  What can consumers do?

What can industry do?  Develop cost-effective technology to capture CO 2  Diversify energy resource mix  Work with Congress to ensure the passage of legislation that protects the environment and the economy  Encourage the transfer of technologies to third-world countries  Develop cost-effective technology to capture CO 2  Diversify energy resource mix  Work with Congress to ensure the passage of legislation that protects the environment and the economy  Encourage the transfer of technologies to third-world countries

CO 2 Emission Reductions  Electric companies are world leaders in taking voluntary actions to address GHG emissions  Electric industry leads all other U.S. industrial sectors in reducing CO 2  Electric companies are world leaders in taking voluntary actions to address GHG emissions  Electric industry leads all other U.S. industrial sectors in reducing CO 2

What can government do?  Develop regulations that are synchronized with technology development  Partner with industry to develop  CO 2 capture technology for existing plants  Clean coal technology for new plants  Develop regulations that are synchronized with technology development  Partner with industry to develop  CO 2 capture technology for existing plants  Clean coal technology for new plants

What can consumers do?  Change our energy appetites:  Energy efficiency (doing things smarter)  Energy conservation (doing with less)  Change our energy appetites:  Energy efficiency (doing things smarter)  Energy conservation (doing with less)

A. North Dakota lignite industry exceeds environmental expectations B. Important to maintain affordable and reliable electricity C.The timing of federal legislation to solve global warming must be in sync with the development of technology to capture CO 2 A. North Dakota lignite industry exceeds environmental expectations B. Important to maintain affordable and reliable electricity C.The timing of federal legislation to solve global warming must be in sync with the development of technology to capture CO 2 Summary