From InTheNews: AES : Safety Issues in the News

Electrified protest
Plant plans near school site worry some
Andrew Edwards, Staff Writer
Article Launched: 03/15/2007 12:00:00 AM PDT


GRAND TERRACE - A power plant that has been proposed for the south end of the city would be built across the street from the spot where Colton school district officials want to build a new high school.

AES Highgrove LLC, based in Long Beach, submitted an application in May to state energy officials to build a 300-megawatt gas-fired power plant northwest of Main and Taylor streets.

On the other side of Taylor Street is where officials want to build their third traditional high school.

Grand Terrace resident Roxanne Williams wants to rally opposition to AES Highgrove's plan. She said it's too risky to build an air-pollution-generating power plant across the street from classrooms.

"The citizens have to come out very forcefully, as well as the City Council," Williams said.

AES Highgrove project manager Julie Way said the state's safety rules are sufficient to prevent a new power plant from posing any dangers.

"Power plants are very tightly regulated," she said.

The company's application to build the power plant reported that neither air pollution nor hazardous materials at the plant would pose a public-health threat to students or school employees. Construction of the new school is scheduled to begin in August.

Williams said she is a member of People of Action, which she called a "small group" of Grand Terrace, Highgrove and Riverside residents that formed about one month ago to oppose the proposed power plant.

Grand Terrace officials don't have a say in whether the power plant can be built in the city - that power is vested in the California Energy Commission. However, both city and school officials can take a formal position on AES Highgrove's proposal.

Williams wants the City Council to go on record against the proposed power plant. She said she has sent three requests to City Hall to have the issue discussed at a council meeting.

At Tuesday night's meeting, Councilman Dan Buchanan said he has not taken a position on the project and is interested in learning more details about AES Highgrove's plans.

"I would like to know more about why somebody thinks this is a good idea," he said.

Energy Commission staffers are still evaluating AES Highgrove's proposal, commission spokeswoman Susanne Garfield said.

Before commissioners can make a decision, staffers are required to produce an environmental analysis of AES Highgrove's plan. City and school district officials, as well as the public, can make comments on the staffers' findings.

After that step, the comments can be incorporated into a final report, Garfield said. That report is used in public hearings during which two members of the Energy Commission hear sworn testimony on the proposal. Then, the full five-member commission makes a decision.

Garfield said commission staffers' preliminary assessment isn't expected to be completed until summer.

Colton school district spokesman Michael Townsend said district officials may decide to take a position on AES Highgrove's proposal after Energy Commission staffers publish their preliminary report.

The Energy Commission is not the only government body that can affect AES Highgrove's proposal. The South Coast Air Quality Management District's actions could have a major impact on the company's plans.

AES Highgrove needs to purchase emissions-reduction credits from the AQMD to operate the plant at full capacity, Way said. However, the AQMD's governing board has yet to make a decision on proposals that could reduce or eliminate AES Highgrove's ability to purchase those credits in places with severe air pollution, such as San Bernardino County.

The power plant project is on hold until the AQMD's governing board makes a decision, Way said.

AQMD spokesman Sam Atwood said the AQMD board could adopt a new policy on how the agency sells emissions-reduction credits as early as summer.