Dear Friends:
PSEG is holding a public information meeting to present their plan to install and operate a 129.6 – 145.5 megawatt peaking plant at the Harbor Station power plant, located on New Haven’s east shore at 1 Waterfront Street.
Public Information Hearing on the expansion of Harbor Station
August 4, 2009
7PM
Annex YMA Club, 554 Woodward Avenue
Background:
In 2003, the Department of Environmental Protection turned down an application to install a “peaking plant” at the English Station site. The DEP found that:
1. New Haven’s air quality was poor (it is still rated “F” for failing),
2. that local power production was high, allowing producers to export to Long Island and SE Connecticut,
3. that this meant that local residents bore the environmental impact for power consumed by other communities,
4. that exported power was inefficient due to losses during transmission.
In denying the permit for a “peaker plant”, DEP Commissioner Arthur Rocque, supported the claims of the environmental justice community that residents of the City of New Haven bore a disproportionate impact, and that proposals for power production expansion needed to investigate sites closer to demand.
The environmental justice community has also sought ways the encourage the installation of cleaner and more efficient equipment at Harbor Station. With this goal, the consensus of many groups has been to allow expansion only if it resulted in a net improvement in air quality. This is a tall order, due to the city’s worsening air quality from increased vehicle emissions and increased pollution carried here from New York and Mid Western power plants.
It’s important to come to this meeting to learn details of the proposal and speak about your concerns.
Anstress Farwell, President
New Haven Urban Design League
129 Church Street Suite 419
New Haven, CT 06510
203 624 0175 t
urbandesignleague@att.net
Tags: Legislation, Rally, Urgent Action