Despite New Technology, Some
Residents Are Still Uneasy
Harold Egeln
Brooklyn Daily Eagle
SUNSET PARK -- Sunset Park residents got an update about a proposed upgrade at a major electricity generating plant on their waterfront Thursday evening.
The meeting at P.S. 24 was greeted with tough questions about the effectiveness and long-term prospects of an additional plant in Sunset Park.
The Gowanus Generating Plant, which has had two component plants operating since the 1970s, is located at the 29th Street Pier.
Astoria Generating Company, a subsidiary of the US Power Generating Company, or USPowerGen, is currently undergoing a public Environmental Impact Statement process for its South Pier Improvement Project, subject of the community meeting. The company has owned and operated the 29th Street Pier plant since 2006.
USPowerGen proposes to add about 100 to 150 megawatts of "greener" clean energy by installing a modern combustion turbine plant, with built-in green designs, technologies and compliance. Construction cost is approximately $100 million, with the new plant set to go online in late spring 2010.
Besides the 29th Street Pier plants, the company operates the Narrows Generating Plant on the Sunset Park waterfront at 53rd Street and First Avenue.
Different Kind of Power Project’
“We’re excited because this project is a different kind of power project using emission-reduction technologies with the new and two operating facilities,” said project attorney Gail Suchman of Stroock and Lavan LLP.
The new plant would upgrade the existing two turbines to give additional backup power capacity to Sunset Park and the city’s power grid during peak electrical usage, while reducing emissions under current levels through an emissions reduction program and green initiatives.
“With the new turbine, we are adding 100 megawatts to our current 542 megawatts with our two turbines already at the site,” said Chris Rein, principal and senior vice president of the Engineering and Environmental Solutions (EES) Group, USPowerGen's environmental consulting team. “That means 18 percent more power at the Gowanus Generating Station, with a 48 percent emissions reduction goal.”
This is being done, he said, in the context of Mayor Bloomberg’s PlaNYC 2030 to reduce the city's greenhouse gas emissions 30 percent by 2030. Rein showed a list of figures about the reductions: 49 percent for nitrogen oxide, 44 percent for carbon dioxide, 96 percent for sulfuric oxide, 13 percent for carbon dioxide and more.
This would be accomplished through the use of ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel, resulting in “a 99 percent reduction of sulfur emissions,” said Rein.
“The generators will run principally on natural gas,” said project head architect Bob Fox, a partner in Cook + Fox Architects, known for their green architecture design work. “We plan to create a permanent living green wall using plants from the ivy family along the pier, with a solar array atop the wall to provide power for our staff operations there.”
The plant will be air, not water, cooled, he said, and is seeking LEED certification, Fox said – a “first” for any power plant.
"Most of the time, the plants won't be running," said Senior Project Director David Perri of USPowerGen, who fielded questions. "It usually runs five to six percent of the year depending on power system demands, mainly in summer."
OKs for ‘Green Power’ But Concerns Remain
After a recent scoping hearing and plant site tour by 12 Community Board 7 members, Perri said that between the two events, questions were raised. These included those by the United Puerto Rican Organization of Sunset Park (UPROSE) and longtime Board Seven member Ed Wade, and others, prompting the community meeting.
"This effort is commendable. You're making it as inoffensive as possible," said Elizabeth Yeampierre, UPROSE executive director. "But what is going to happen here five, 10, 20 years from now? We're concerned about having assurances on the lifespan of this facility to reduce emissions and the readiness to respond to the rise of new technology developments."
Board 7 Chair Randolph Peers said, "There are no guarantees." He cited issues of "long-term commitment for emission reduction, emission limit permits being revisited, and the situation of electrical demands in 10 years."
While 16 of the 32 turbines at the site are being retrofitted with emission reduction devices, Peers asked, why not do the other 16 now rather than later? Perri said these questions will be considered in the proposal process.
“Particle matter emission is the biggest issue in the community. Unfortunately, there's not any add-on technology available.” Perri noted, with only a 7-percent reduction.
That raised concerns from Viviana Hernandez, a resident of 23rd Street and a state Republican leader, who noted a rise of cancers, including eight known deaths, and asthma on her block during the past four or five years.
Perri suspected that the source could be another power plant closer to the neighborhood and Gowanus Expressway traffic. “Particle matter emission is low now at our plants, with 49 tons a year,” noted attorney Suchman.
Wade said, "People have the right to breathe clean and healthy air. Sunset Park plants are supplying the power to the city and we're getting the soot."
Last month, Community Board 7 voted on a resolution to reject the company's proposal with six yes votes, two no votes, and 23 abstentions pending further information.
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