 |
Environment Quick News
|
 |
|
| |
| A
Monthly Report on EPRI's Environmental Research Programs |
November
2009 |
|
|
Program members can use their epri.com ID and password to download
Acrobat PDF files of EPRI technical reports. For assistance, contact
the EPRI Customer Assistance Center at (800) 313-3774. |
|
| |
|
|
| Dear Environment Sector members:
At our recent advisory meetings in Colorado, we asked you
to complete the annual member satisfaction survey. Preliminary
figures show that we are doing quite well in your collective
opinion but, as always, there is room for improvement. We
will report on the final results at the meetings in March,
but in the meantime we will be reviewing the results and putting
action plans in place to address specific issues raised.
One area that is consistently rated high in importance in
the survey is our effort to inform regulators and other key
decision makers about our research results. While we rated
quite high in this category, the message was to continue apace
and do even more. In this issue of “Quick News”
you will note articles summarizing the many activities we
have conducted in the last couple of months to inform key
stakeholders. These include:
- comments to EPA on the Agency’s proposed Urban
Visibility program
- comments to EPA on its Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking
on visibility improvements in Class I areas and BART cost-effectiveness
- comments to EPA on its Integrated Science Assessment
for fine particulate matter
- briefings to Congressional staff and various agencies
on the characteristics of coal combustion products and implications
of managing these materials as hazardous waste
- briefings to executives and other stakeholders on greenhouse
gas offsets opportunities
- meeting with EPA’s 316(b) Rule Development Team
on the status of EPRI’s research on cooling tower
retrofitting and EPA’s plans for its new rule
- our working relationship with EPA (and industry) on the
Agency’s recently announced decision to select the
electric sector for updating effluent guidelines for water
discharges
We have endeavored to keep you informed of these and other
interactions via webcasts and e-mail alerts. Please feel free
to contact the appropriate EPRI staff for briefing materials
and other information on our outreach activities.
It was good to see many of you in Boulder. Please make sure
that you have the next meetings in Orlando on March 15–18,
2010 on your calendars. |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
| Presentations From 2009 Fall Environment
Council Meetings Posted. Presentations
from the October 2009 meetings of the Environment Sector
and Area Councils are now available on epri.com. Please
use your epri.com ID and password to sign in first, then
use this
link and select the Meeting Materials tab. Documents
may be restricted to members who fund the specific programs. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
| Program 91: Assessment Tools for Ozone,
Particulate Matter, Regional Haze and Atmospheric Deposition |
| .
The collaboration between EPRI and the Lake Michigan Air
Directors Consortium to analyze data gathered during the
2008–2009 Winter Nitrate Study is moving forward. |
|
| .
EPRI recently submitted comments to the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) on the External Review Draft
of the Particulate Matter Urban-Focused Visibility Assessment. |
|
| . An
EPRI study has developed a linkage for transferring data
on concentrations of gases and particles in air and rain
from EPRI's advanced 3-D Eulerian model (AMSTERDAM) to
its mechanistic watershed model (WARMF). |
|
| .
EPRI has provided public comments to the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) on the Advanced Notice of
Proposed Rulemaking regarding anticipated visibility
improvements at Class I Areas and cost-effectiveness of
Best Available Retrofit Technology (BART) for two generating
stations in the Southwest. |
|
| Program 92: Assessment of Air Quality
Impacts on Health and the Environment |
| . EPRI recently submitted comments to
the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on the
Second External Review Draft of the Integrated Science
Assessment for Particulate Matter (PM). |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
| Visit
the Global Climate Webpage |
|
| Program 102: Global Climate Policy Costs
and Benefits |
| . EPRI
is developing a model that will more accurately assess
the impact of new climate policies on the electric power
sector, the energy system, and the economy. |
|
| . This Technical Report details
the updated Prism and MERGE analyses presented at the
2009 EPRI Summer Seminar and summarized in the Summer
2009 EPRI Journal. |
|
| . EPRI is a sponsor
and steering committee member of the Asia Modeling Scenarios
Project, a new multinational project designed to better
articulate the role of Asia in addressing climate change. |
|
| Program 103: Greenhouse Gas Reduction
Options |
| . EPRI’s Adam Diamant
provided a briefing to the CEO Climate Change Task Force
of the American Public Power Association at its Fall 2009
meeting in Washington DC. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
| Program 49: Coal Combustion Products—Environmental
Issues |
| .
To inform decisions leading to EPA’s final
regulatory proposal on coal ash disposal, due in December,
EPRI’s Ken Ladwig recently briefed federal agency
representatives and Congressional staffers in Washington,
DC on sustainable management of coal combustion products
(CCPs). |
|
| Coal Ash: What It Is, Where It Goes, How
It Impacts the Environment. Coal
Ash: Characteristics, Management, and Environment Issues
(1019022). Forty percent of the 92 million tons of coal
ash produced each year by U.S. coal-fired power plants
is beneficially used, while 60 percent is managed in storage
and disposal sites. This Technical Update describes the
physical and chemical characteristics of coal ash, beneficial
use applications, disposal practices, and management practices
to mitigate concerns about environmental issues such as
leaching, windblown ash, mercury in ash, and radioactivity.
For more information, contact Ken Ladwig, (262) 754-2744,
keladwig@epri.com.
|
|
| Program 50: Manufactured Gas Plant Site
Management |
| .
Sediment Management Work Group members received
current information on EPRI’s reactive capping demonstration
in the Hudson River at an October meeting in Saratoga
Springs, NY. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
| Program 54: Fish Protection at Steam
Electric Power Plants |
| .
In late October, EPRI’s Doug Dixon and Dave
Bailey met with the EPA 316(b) Rule development team to
discuss EPRI’s 2009 research results as well as
2010 preliminary plans. |
|
| . This EPRI
Technical Report presents the results of the 2007 ORERP
fish population sampling near 10 Ohio River power plants
that cover nearly the entire length of the river. |
|
| Program 55: Strategic Water Issues: TMDLs,
Availability, Climate |
| . EPRI has received $1.3 million
in federal grants from the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
to launch a regional water quality trading program in
the Ohio River Basin. |
|
| . This
handbook, co-edited and authored in part by EPRI’s
Jessica Fox, provides detailed information on how a biodiversity
credit trading system—conservation banking in the
United States—is currently working and where the
practice may be heading in the future. |
|
| . In the context of growing demands
for both water and electricity, this U.S. Government Accountability
Office (GAO) report discusses approaches (including drawbacks)
to reduce freshwater use by power plants, states' consideration
of water use when reviewing proposals to build power plants,
and usefulness of federal water data to experts and state
regulators. |
|
| . An
EPRI study has developed a linkage for transferring data
on concentrations of gases and particles in air and rain
from EPRI's advanced 3-D Eulerian model (AMSTERDAM) to
its mechanistic watershed model (WARMF). |
|
| Program 56: Effluent Guidelines and Water
Quality Management |
| . Based on a multi-year study,
the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently
announced its plans to revise the current effluent guidelines
for the Steam Electric Power Generating industry. |
|
| Program 58: Waterpower |
| . EPRI’s Doug Dixon traveled to Lyon,
France, where he gave two presentations and participated
in the HYDRO 2009 International Conference for the hydropower
industry. |
|
| . A recent EPRI study evaluated
wave height and wave period forecasting accuracy as a
function of the forecast time horizon for a typical Oregon
or northern California wave power plant location. |
|
| Dr. Paul Jacobson Joins EPRI Waterpower
Program. Dr. Paul Jacobson joined
EPRI on September 28 to head the Institute’s marine
and hydrokinetic energy research. He will be taking
over from Roger Bedard, who is retiring in March 2010.
Dr. Jacobson comes from Langhei Ecology, LLC, where he
was Cofounder, Managing Partner, and Principal Scientist.
He was also the Chairman of the Board of Directors for
the Maryland Water Monitoring Council. He has a
Ph.D. in Oceanography and Limnology from the University
of Wisconsin–Madison and has previously worked as
an EPRI contractor. For more information, contact
Paul Jacobson, (410) 489-3675, pjacobson@epri.com. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
| Program 57: ROW: Siting, Vegetation Management,
and Avian Issues |
| . An educational session
on Integrated Vegetation Management (IVM) featured EPRI
research on IVM in U.S. powerline corridors. |
|
| Program 60: EMF Health Assessment and
Radio-Frequency Safety |
|
| Visit
the EMF Health Assessment and RF Safety Public Webpage |
|
| Technical Update Discusses EMF Exposure
and Childhood Brain Cancer. Electric
and Magnetic Field Exposure and Childhood Brain Cancer
(1019019). This Technical Update summarizes epidemiologic
studies of residential and parental occupational exposure
to power-frequency electric and magnetic fields (EMF)
as a possible risk factor for childhood brain cancer,
and discusses new EPRI analyses that combine data to provide
statistically robust estimates of risk. The Update also
includes a background section on brain cancer and a summary
of experimental studies of possible magnetic field effects
on carcinogenesis in laboratory animals and cells. For
more information, contact Gabor Mezei, (650) 855-8908,
gmezei@epri.com. |
|
| Magnetic Field Attenuation Characterized
for Power Distribution Transformers. Characterization
of Magnetic Fields From Power Distribution Transformers
(1019010). This Technical Report describes a measurement
study performed to characterize magnetic field levels
as a function of distance away from power distribution
transformers located in public and residential areas.
Electric company representatives can use this information
to address environmental and health-related concerns about
magnetic field exposure. For more information, contact
Rob Kavet, (650) 855-1061, rkavet@epri.com.
|
|
| EMFWorkstation 2009 Released.
EMFWorkstation
2009 (1017990). This 32-bit software models electric
and magnetic fields in complex situations such as those
involving arrays of three-phase substation equipment,
transmission and distribution lines, and single-phase
custom conductors. For more information, contact Rob Kavet,
(650) 855-1061, rkavet@epri.com.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| NEW SUPPLEMENTAL PROJECT
OPPORTUNITIES |
|
|
| |
|
|
| NEW MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS |
|
|
| |
|
|
| UPCOMING EVENTS |
|
|
| *
denotes EPRI sponsored or cosponsored event |
|
| Environment Sector |
|
| *
Environment Sector and Area Council Advisory Meetings
Mar. 15–18, 2010, Orlando, FL. Contact: Marsha
Grossman, (650) 855-8760, mgrossma@epri.com.
*
Environment Sector and Area Council Advisory Meetings
Oct. 4–7, 2010, San Antonio, TX. Contact: Marsha Grossman,
(650) 855-8760, mgrossma@epri.com.
|
|
| Air Quality |
|
| Society of Environmental Toxicology
and Chemistry 30th Annual Meeting
Nov. 19–23, New Orleans, LA. Contact: Sharan Campleman,
(650) 855-2331, scampleman@epri.com.
More information is available at the event
website.
Society for Risk Analysis 2009 Annual Meeting
Dec. 6–9, Baltimore, MD. Contact: Sharan Campleman,
(650) 855-2331, scampleman@epri.com.
More information is available at the event
website.
American Geophysical Union 2009 Fall Meeting
Dec. 14–18, San Francisco, CA. Contact: Stephanie
Shaw, (650) 855-2353, sshaw@epri.com.
More information is available at the event
website.
Remediation of Chlorinated and Recalcitrant Compounds
May 24–27, 2010, Monterey, CA. Contact: Leonard Levin,
(650) 855-7929, llevin@epri.com.
More information is available at the event
website.
Power Plant Air Pollutant Control “MEGA”
Symposium
Aug. 30–Sept. 2, 2010, Baltimore, MD. Contact:
Leonard Levin, (650) 855-7929, llevin@epri.com.
More information is available at the event
website.
|
|
| Land and Groundwater |
|
| *
EPRI MGP 2010 Symposium
Jan. 27–29, 2010, San Antonio, TX. Contact: Jeff
Clock, (845) 608-0642, jclock@epri.com,
or Jim Lingle, (414) 355-5559, jlingle@epri.com.
EPRI received 83 abstracts and has chosen the most interesting
and technically innovative for platform sessions, with the
remainder as poster sessions. Tabletop displays will
also be included. Please register early since the symposium
is likely to be overbooked. More information is available
at the event
website.
EUEC 13th Annual Energy & Environment Conference
Feb. 1–3, 2010, Phoenix, AZ. Contact: Naomi Goodman,
(650) 855-2193, ngoodman@epri.com.
More information is available at the event
website.
Remediation of Chlorinated and Recalcitrant Compounds
May 24–27, 2010, Monterey, CA. Contact: Leonard Levin,
(650) 855-7929, llevin@epri.com.
More information is available at the event
website.
Power Plant Air Pollutant Control “MEGA”
Symposium
Aug. 30–Sept. 2, 2010, Baltimore, MD. Contact:
Leonard Levin, (650) 855-7929, llevin@epri.com.
More information is available at the event
website.
|
|
| T&D Environmental Issues |
|
| Radiofrequency Fields and
Health
Nov. 23–25, Stuttgart, Germany. Contact: Gabor
Mezei, (650) 855-8908, gmezei@epri.com.
This workshop will focus on the special topic, “Radiofrequency
Electromagnetic Fields and Brain Physiology—What Is
the Connection?” The workshop will summarize state-of-the-science
knowledge in the field of biological and health effects of
RF-EMF. More information is available at the event
website.
*
Arsenic Working Group
Dec. 3, Pensacola, FL. Contact: Mary McLearn, (650)
855-2487, mmclearn@epri.com.
Simultaneous audio broadcast of the meeting will be available.
The Bioelectromagnetics Society 32nd Annual Meeting
June 13–18, 2010, Seoul, Korea. Contact: Gabor Mezei,
(650) 855-8908, gmezei@epri.com.
|
| |
|
Together…Shaping
the Future of Electricity® |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Electric
Power Research Institute
3420
Hillview Avenue, Palo Alto, California 94304-1338 • PO Box 10412,
Palo Alto, California 94303-0813 USA
800.313.3774 • 650.855.2121 • askepri@epri.com
• www.epri.com
|
|
|
|
