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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMayor to send letter to League of Cities Representative to S CITY OF HUNTINGTON BEACH 1 INTER-1D1`EPAARTMENT COMMUNICATION HUNTINGTON BEACH Ob-f 0 �aL.NQU Iv`I Y` 10-poN 'rb AJA-�bKtte V�- PgN6 0r Aff AU OP o c TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members VIA: Ray Silver, City Administrator FROM: Clay Martin, Director of Administrative Services DATE: June 14, 2001 SUBJECT: "C" ITEM FOR JUNE 18, 2001 CITY COUNCIL MEETING AQMD Permit Issuance to AES Background At the City Council Meeting of April 16, 2001, City Council Member Ralph Bauer submitted an H-item related to the purchase of Air Pollution Credits by A.E.S. The two recommended actions that were approved by the City Council at that meeting directed staff to: 1. Intervene in the negotiations between AES and SCAQMD to prevent the purchase of any air pollution credits. 2. Request the Mayor to send a letter protesting the purchase of any air Pollution credits to Newport Beach City Council Member Norma Glover (League of Cities representative to the SCAQMD Board of Directors) The following summary presents the results of this effort for further council review and discussion. Summary The Governing Board of the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) issued AES Huntington Beach a permit to proceed with construction/operation of Units 3 and 4 on May 30, 2001. At issue was the availability of pollution credits required by AES to operate Units 3 and 4. The permit was issued by the Governing Board despite AES' failure to obtain a contract from the State Department of Water Resources (DWR) to sell power. The city of Huntington Beach,.among others, successfully lobbied to have SCAQMD Rule 1309.1 amended to require AES to have a signed contract with the DWR insuring that they would sell the electricity generated by Units 3 and 4 in the State of California. As of June 8, 2001, AES does not have a signed contract with DWR. In addition, staff believes that AES should be required to demonstrate the following: • AES meets best available retrofit control technology (BARCT). • Units 3 and 4 will not cause significant increases in toxic emissions. • AES is in compliance with all record keeping, monitoring, and reporting requirements. The city can appeal the ruling within 30 days from the date of issuance (deadline - June 28, 2001). Attachment CITY OF HUNTINGTON BEACH HUNTINGTON BEACH CITY COUNCIL MEMO M}b�1 To: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members From: Ralph Bauer, City Council Memberftj� o Date: April 10, 2001 Subject: "H"ITEM FOR APRIL 16, 2001 CITY COUNCIL MEETING- PURCHASE OF AIR POLLUTION CREDITS BYA.E.S. ) Co r- STATEMENT OF ISSUE: _ N � -Co .:: - It is my understanding that AES is in negotiations with SCAQMD to buy pollution credits under air pollution rules laid down by AES. According to newspaper articles, AES could buy unlimited credits and then pass the cost of these purchases on to their customers. We are thus in the ludicrous position of the people paying for more air pollution. RECOMMENDED ACTION: It is moved that: 1. The city staff intervenes in the negotiations between AES and SCAQMD to prevent the purchase of any air pollution credits. 2. The Mayor send a letter protesting the purchase of any air pollution credits to Newport Beach Council Member Norma Glover, who is the League of Cities representative to the SCAQMD Board of Directors. Technology is available to prevent pollution of the atmosphere by oxides of nitrogen and oxides of sulfur. This technology should be put in place for all power generating units at the AES Plant. RB:cf xd: Ray Silver Connie Brockway Bill Workman Clay Martin t - INN , CITY OF HUNTINGTON BEACH HUNTINGTONBEACH CITY COUNCIL MEMO M-JV--;D) To: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members From: Ralph Bauer, City Council Membergp-12 o z Date: April 10, 2001 Subject: "H"ITEM FOR APRIL 16, 2001 CITY COUNCIL MEETING— -Ell Q PURCHASE OF AIR POLLUTION CREDITS BY A.E.S. co r _ C STATEMENT OF ISSUE: N It is my understanding that AES is in negotiations with SCAQMD to buy pollution credits under air pollution rules laid down by AES. According to newspaper articles, AES could buy unlimited credits and then pass the cost of these purchases on to their customers. We are thus in the ludicrous position of the people paying for more air pollution. RECOMMENDED ACTION: It is moved that: 1. The city staff intervenes in the negotiations between AES and SCAQMD to prevent the purchase of any air pollution credits. 2. The Mayor send a letter protesting the purchase of any air pollution credits to Newport Beach Council Member Norma Glover, who is the League of Cities representative to the SCAQMD Board of Directors. Technology is available to prevent pollution of the atmosphere by oxides of nitrogen and oxides of sulfur. This technology should be put in place for all power generating units at the AES Plant. RB:cf xd: Ray Silver Connie Brockway Bill Workman Clay Martin r � � ATTACHMENT # 1 South Coast Air Quality Management District Rule 118 Executive Order #01-06 WHEREAS, District Rule 118 authorizes the Executive Officer to suspend all or part of any District rule for emergency activities in up to 10-day increments during a state of emergency declared by the Governor; and WHEREAS, on January 17, 2001, the Governor proclaimed a State of Emergency resulting from the imminent threat of widespread and prolonged disruption of electrical power; and WHEREAS, the Governor's proclamation declared that a condition of extreme peril to the safety of persons and property within the state exists by virtue of the threat of disruption of electrical power, particularly disruption of power to emergency services, law enforcement, schools, and hospitals; and WHEREAS, rapid availability of additional electric power from facilities in the South Coast Air Quality Management District is necessary to assure adequate power supplies to protect the safety of persons and property within the State of California; and WHEREAS, on February 8, 2001, the Governor issued an Executive Order, D-22-01, which provides in pertinent part as follows: IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that the Energy Commission shall expedite to the extent feasible the processing of applications for certification for existing thermal powerplants that require retooling and a current license to operate. In order to bring such thermal powerplants online as soon as possible, the Energy Commission is authorized to reduce the time in which to conduct a reasonable review of the application, consistent with the objectives of environmental protection and the protection of public health and safety. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that all local, "regional, and state agencies involved in the licensing of proposed thermal powerplants in California shall work cooperatively and expeditiously with the Energy Commission and within its timeline to review all such Applications for Certification. All agencies shall diligently review such proposed license applications and provide timely comments to the Energy Commission as the Energy Commission requests, and WHEREAS, the AES Huntington Beach Generating Station Units 3 and 4 Retool Project file://C:\WINDOWS\TEMP\AQMD Executive Order 01-06.htn l 4/9/01 L1�L JY L(aVVwa.V vawVa va vv U is one of the facilities referred to in the Governor's Executive Order D-22-01, and the District has been working cooperatively and expeditiously with the Energy Commission to provide timely review of the project; and WHEREAS, District Rules 212(d) and 1710(b)(3) require the applicant to distribute public notice of the proposed project, 30 days before the issuance of the permit, to each address within a 1/4 mile radius of the project; and WHEREAS, the project applicant for the Huntington Beach Units 3 and 4 Retool Project inadvertently failed to deliver public notice as required in a timely manner; and WHEREAS, under the provisions of Rule 118(d)(1), I hereby determine and declare that strict compliance with District Rules 212(d) and 1710(b)(3), to the extent they require 30 days notice to each address within 1/4 mile of the project, would delay or prevent critical actions necessary to construct the project to provide for emergency power generation; and WHEREAS, public notice required by federal regulations or state laws has been provided for this project, notice has been given to additional interested parties, and the project is well-publicized in the area; and WHEREAS, in order to provide the maximum compliance with Rules 212(d) and 1710 (b)(3) that is consistent with the emergency situation, it is necessary to impose reasonable conditions requiring prompt distribution of notice; NOW, THEREFORE, pursuant to the authority vested in me pursuant to District Rule 118(d)(1) I hereby suspend applicable sections of Rules 212(d) and 1710(b)(3), only to the extent they require delivery of notice of the Huntington Beach Units 3 and 4 Retool Project 30 days prior to issuing the permit, provided that: the applicant or its agent delivers notice to all addresses within 1/4 mile of the project by April 6, 2001; and the notice specifies that comments must be provided to the AQMD on or before April 16, 2001, but is otherwise in the form previously provided to the applicant. This order expires Monday, April 16, 2001, at noon, or when the State of Emergency declared by the Governor on January 17, es..to exist, whichever is earlier. Executed at Diamond Bar, California, n April 6, 2001. Barry R. Wallerstein, D.Env. file://C:\WINDOWS\TEMP\AQMD Executive Order 01-06.htH 4/9/01 Executive Officer AQMD Home Page This page updated:April 06,2001 URL:httpllwuw.aqmd.gov/newsl/Exec_order_01_06.htm file:HC:\WINDOWS\TEMP\AQMD Executive Order 01-06.html 4/9/01 To: Governor Gray Davis State Capital Building RECEIVED FROM Sacramento, California 95814 AND MADE PART OF THE�A COUNCIL MEETING of OFROEOFTHECITYCLERK From: Mr. William "Bill" Curtis CONNIEBFIOCKWAY,CITY CLERK Choctaw Crude Oil Company moo Post Office Box 5952 Balboa Island, California 92662 RE: Land use at Pacific Coast Highway and Magnolia Street Dear Governor Gray Davis, I wish to thank you for going out of your way to praise Edison International, I have been in touch with Paul Phelan he is president of Pacific Pipeline system. The Pipeline System is the greatest in the state of California. As the first step to discussing the oldest, the worst, the only power plant that has two of largest smoke stacks in the U.S.A. that is pumping bad gas every day! The Edison's pledge to tear down the old and only powerplant in U.S.A. that is killing all the property owners around this power plant with two smoke stacks that were supposed to be taken down in the 1980's. William "Bill" Curtis is the owner of 212 acres of mineral rights on P.C. Highway Magnolia Street. The A.E.S. Corp. is the owner of power plant in Huntington Beach. They have converted the land to a large repair plant. Curtis owns the mineral rights under this plant. The old A.G. Edwards Plant has to be torn down and replaced by a new power plant with no smoke stacks! Mills Land and Water Company owned by Robert Logon Moore Jr. since 1901 will be very happy and I own 34 acre that I can develop and drill oil and gas well to the 4000 ft. zone and 6000 ft. main zone with high 26 gravity. I have been on the property in past week, I met Ed Blackford president of A.E.S. Corp. He stated his company would like to clean up and get rid of the old power plant. A.E.S. has threatened to pull out of their five years lease unless they are permitted to move the old plant out, new one in. It sounds O.K. with me. Choctaw Crude Oil William "Bill" Curtis President P.O. Box 5952 Balboa Island Cal. 92662