Wednesday, April 4, 2001

'Clean Up' challenges Gulf Power

KEVIN PORTER

The News Herald

Carl Gray Park's boat ramp played host to a different kind of launch Tuesday as representatives of Florida Public Interest Research Group gathered to announce its "Clean Up Southern Company" campaign.

Panama City was one of eight cities selected for press conferences by the environmental group and others like it in the Southeast United States. It's encouraging the public to challenge the large power provider to make the air cleaner and the environment safer.

"'The Clean Up Southern Company' campaign is challenging Southern Company, the parent company of Gulf Power, to be a clean air leader, rather than a clean air obstacle," said Nat Garrrett, clean air organizer for Florida PIRG, with the Lansing Smith power plant over his shoulder and across North Bay.

"Southern Company has committed to environmental leadership on its Web site, in its press releases and in the materials it sends out in consumer bills. Yet, Southern Company continues to use coal-burning plants that emit excessive quantities of pollution."

A Gulf Power spokesman disputed the environmental group's claim, noting that members of PIRG are anti-coal and refuse to recognize the efforts the power provider has made in meeting guidelines of federal clean air standards.

The group contends the company's smokestacks in the Southeast are major contributors to pollution problems, which compromise public heath. It says the smog and soot resulting from Southern's plants trigger asthma attacks and cut lives short due to heart and lung problems. Florida PIRG also maintains that mercury emitted from the plants contaminates fish, posing a threat to those who eat them.

"The amount of pollution emitted by Southern Company's power plants is staggering," Garrett said. "In 1999, Southern Company was the No. 1 utility emitter of three harmful air pollutants: nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide and carbon dioxide."

He said the major emphasis of the campaign is to educate the public about Southern Company. It is asking people to send a postcard or fax to the Southern's new CEO, Allen Franklin, challenging him to make the company more environmentally friendly.

In particular, the group would like the Southern to find an alternative to solution to burning coal for fuel, which it currently does at several plants, including its Lansing Smith plant along North Bay and Crist plant in Pensacola.

Garrett said both are allowed to emit stronger levels of nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide and carbon dioxides than newly constructed plants because of a loophole in the 1970 federal Clean Air Act. He said it allowed existing plants and those under construction to be exempt from strict pollution standards for new sources.

John Hutchinson, spokesman for Gulf Power, a subsidiary of Southern Company, disputes the loophole claim. He says the Clean Air Act and subsequent amendments merely give existing plants time to comply.

Hutchinson said the latest amendment, in 1990, put significant restrictions on older plants, requiring the Lansing Smith to reduce emissions such as sulfur dioxide by 67 percent while the capacity expanded significantly.

"They are certainly entitled to their opinion, but they can't name one state or federal clean air standard that Gulf Power violates because we don't," Hutchinson said. "This group is clearly anti-coal and we don't have to look any further than what is happening in California, which is partly because of environmental opposition, to see what could happen."

Hutchinson said emissions would continue to be reduced during the next several years. A new generator currently under construction that will operate on natural gas could give them enough capacity to start shutting down those that use coal.

"We have taken a lot of steps and we are not in violation of any standards," Hutchinson reiterated.

Bob Jones, director of the Southeastern Fisheries Association, a non-profit fisheries trade association, says the continued use of coal by power plants is contributing to an environmental catastrophe in nearby bodies of water.

"The biggest source of mercury pollution is the electric power industry, and Southern Company emitted more mercury than any other electric company in 1998," he said, in a statement read by Garrett. "This is a deplorable record and inexcusable for a company that has painted itself as an environmental leader."

Earlier this year, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration issued a health advisory to all pregnant women and women of the childbearing age not to eat shark, swordfish, king mackerel or tilefish, and no more than 12 ounces of fish per week because of the potential for high methylmercury in the edible tissue.

"I think the majority of people aren't aware that coal is being used and the results because of that," said Bay Countian and environmentalist Maggie McKinney. "Isn't it reasonable to ask (Southern Company) to live up to their promise?"

McKinney likened the use of coal as a modern fuel source to cigarette smokers expecting to still be able to puff where they wish. Before it was known that cigarette smoke caused cancer, smokers weren't considered inconsiderate and irresponsible to smoke around nonsmokers and children," McKinney said. Today it would.

"All we are asking is for Southern to be responsible," McKinney said. On March 16, 61 organizations sent a letter to Franklin asking for a meeting to discuss the company's pollution. To date, the groups have gotten zero response, Garrett said.

Garrett said Florida PIRG would like Franklin to take two steps to demonstrate commitment to environmental protection.

One is settle litigation with the Department of Justice, which sued Southern Company's affiliates for alleged Clean Air Act violations at 10 of its power plants. The other step is to support federal legislation to clean up the nation's power plants.

More information on PIRG and how to participate in its "Clean Up Southern Company" campaign can be found at www.CleanUpSouthernCompany.com. The writer can be contacted at kporter@pcnh.com.