Code_Name_D
10-01-2007, 08:33 PM
You must help us stop the construction of the largest source of CO2 emissions in the United States!!!!!
The proposed plant expansion at Holcomb Kansas is massive. So massive that I find it infuriating that this has not only slipped under the radar of the national media, but the national environmental groups have also ignored this as well. Why? Is it because our Democratic Governor, Kathleen Sebelius, is rumored to secretly support the plant! Please please please, you can not ignore this one.
While in Topeka last Tuesday and Wednesday, it became clear that the final decision will be made on the Holcomb coal-fired expansion permit in the next few weeks.
If allowed, this coal-fired electrical generation expansion in tiny Holcomb, Kansas will become the LARGEST SINGLE SOURCE OF CO2 POLLUTION IN THE UNITED STATES.
So, each of us who care about the health and environment of Kansas and our planet needs to immediately:
(1) WRITE ONE OR MORE LETTERS TO MAIL,
(2) SEND EMAILS and,
(3) MAKE PHONE CALLS to our Democratic Party leaders who need our support to make the RIGHT DECISION and “JUST SAY NO” to HOLCOMB:
Mr. Rod Bremby
Secretary of Health and Environment
1000 SW Jackson, Ste. 540
Topeka, KS 66612-1368
(785)296-0461
rbremby@kdhe.state.ks.us
Governor Kathleen Sebelius
Capitol, 300 SW 10th Ave., Ste. 212S
Topeka, KS 66612-1590
1-877-579-6757 / (785)296-3232
kathleen.sebelius@ks.gov
Lt. Governor, Mark Parkinson
Office of the Lt. Governor
State Capitol, Room 222-South
300 SW 10th Ave.
Topeka, KS 66612-1590
1-800-748-4408 / (785) 296-2213
mark.parkinson@ks.gov
A) In our letters, we need to stress that only 10% of the additional electricity generated will go to Kansas families and businesses while 100% of the pollution will cross our state. This will greatly increase the number of Kansans who have asthma and other respiratory diseases. Plus mercury poisoning and acid rain will do tremendous damage to our health, crops, wild life and trees.
B) The big promises made by the coal lobby to our politicians are that they will burn the coal clean and capture the carbon dioxide. Yet the technologies they are proposing such as pumping CO2 into algae farms or capturing carbon dioxide after the coal is burned and putting it into old gas wells is only experimental. Any of these efforts to capture CO2 will be a “drop in the bucket” compared to the 14 million tons of CO2 Holcomb will generate.
C) The land fill proposed to dispose of the ash after the coal is burned will also be a major source of ground water pollution. The heavy metals and dissolved salts which will leach into the Ogallala aquifer from rains and snow melt will contaminate the precious little water still remaining in Western Kansas for families, farmers or businesses. Plus, to produce steam from the burning coal, this expansion will use 8 billion gallons of Ogallala water per year.
D) Politicians in Topeka and Congress have been told by the Sunflower Electric investors that Kansas will run out of electricity if we do not allow this huge expansion to be built. This is FALSE. Developing wind and solar energy plus energy conversation can off-set future electrical demand.
E) The Renewable Energy Conference held in Topeka this past week had over 600 participants from investors, wind and solar electric installers, transmission line developers, manufacturers and government officials all joining together. Without Holcomb, thousands of new jobs will be created as a major wind energy industry is established in rural, Western Kansas.
F) If Holcomb is permitted to expand, the “cheap” electricity they will dump on the market will make it difficult for the renewable energy industry to compete. At the expense of our planet, the coal investors will get richer while wind energy is put on hold—again.
G) To help “level-the-playing-field”, we need a Federal “carbon-tax” on the current coal-fired electric generation plants. The Kansas Legislature also needs to establish “net metering” to allow wind and solar producers to be paid for the excess electricity they put back into the electrical grid.
H) The large wind turbine fiberglass blades, turbines and towers can also be manufactured in Kansas rather than be shipped from overseas. Plus, the transmission line from Western Kansas is ready to start construction in 2008 to carry this wind generated electricity from these new wind farms to the majority of customers in Eastern Kansas.
So, please take time THIS WEEK to let your voice be heard. We are in the final minute of the 4th quarter. It is TIME FOR EACH OF US TO ACT!!!
These three political leaders need to know that the future health of all Kansans plus the environment of our State and planet are more important than allowing a hand full of investors to get richer at the expense of our planet. Kansas has enough prevailing wind to generate 7,000 to 10,000 megawatts of electricity. So, Kansans have a choice. We do not need to pollute Mother Earth and damage our health to “keep the lights on”.
Have a GREAT DAY!!
Walt Chappell, Ph.D.
Box 776, Wichita, Kansas USA 67201
(316)838-7900(P)/(316)208-4565(C)
chappells2u@cox.net
The proposed plant expansion at Holcomb Kansas is massive. So massive that I find it infuriating that this has not only slipped under the radar of the national media, but the national environmental groups have also ignored this as well. Why? Is it because our Democratic Governor, Kathleen Sebelius, is rumored to secretly support the plant! Please please please, you can not ignore this one.
While in Topeka last Tuesday and Wednesday, it became clear that the final decision will be made on the Holcomb coal-fired expansion permit in the next few weeks.
If allowed, this coal-fired electrical generation expansion in tiny Holcomb, Kansas will become the LARGEST SINGLE SOURCE OF CO2 POLLUTION IN THE UNITED STATES.
So, each of us who care about the health and environment of Kansas and our planet needs to immediately:
(1) WRITE ONE OR MORE LETTERS TO MAIL,
(2) SEND EMAILS and,
(3) MAKE PHONE CALLS to our Democratic Party leaders who need our support to make the RIGHT DECISION and “JUST SAY NO” to HOLCOMB:
Mr. Rod Bremby
Secretary of Health and Environment
1000 SW Jackson, Ste. 540
Topeka, KS 66612-1368
(785)296-0461
rbremby@kdhe.state.ks.us
Governor Kathleen Sebelius
Capitol, 300 SW 10th Ave., Ste. 212S
Topeka, KS 66612-1590
1-877-579-6757 / (785)296-3232
kathleen.sebelius@ks.gov
Lt. Governor, Mark Parkinson
Office of the Lt. Governor
State Capitol, Room 222-South
300 SW 10th Ave.
Topeka, KS 66612-1590
1-800-748-4408 / (785) 296-2213
mark.parkinson@ks.gov
A) In our letters, we need to stress that only 10% of the additional electricity generated will go to Kansas families and businesses while 100% of the pollution will cross our state. This will greatly increase the number of Kansans who have asthma and other respiratory diseases. Plus mercury poisoning and acid rain will do tremendous damage to our health, crops, wild life and trees.
B) The big promises made by the coal lobby to our politicians are that they will burn the coal clean and capture the carbon dioxide. Yet the technologies they are proposing such as pumping CO2 into algae farms or capturing carbon dioxide after the coal is burned and putting it into old gas wells is only experimental. Any of these efforts to capture CO2 will be a “drop in the bucket” compared to the 14 million tons of CO2 Holcomb will generate.
C) The land fill proposed to dispose of the ash after the coal is burned will also be a major source of ground water pollution. The heavy metals and dissolved salts which will leach into the Ogallala aquifer from rains and snow melt will contaminate the precious little water still remaining in Western Kansas for families, farmers or businesses. Plus, to produce steam from the burning coal, this expansion will use 8 billion gallons of Ogallala water per year.
D) Politicians in Topeka and Congress have been told by the Sunflower Electric investors that Kansas will run out of electricity if we do not allow this huge expansion to be built. This is FALSE. Developing wind and solar energy plus energy conversation can off-set future electrical demand.
E) The Renewable Energy Conference held in Topeka this past week had over 600 participants from investors, wind and solar electric installers, transmission line developers, manufacturers and government officials all joining together. Without Holcomb, thousands of new jobs will be created as a major wind energy industry is established in rural, Western Kansas.
F) If Holcomb is permitted to expand, the “cheap” electricity they will dump on the market will make it difficult for the renewable energy industry to compete. At the expense of our planet, the coal investors will get richer while wind energy is put on hold—again.
G) To help “level-the-playing-field”, we need a Federal “carbon-tax” on the current coal-fired electric generation plants. The Kansas Legislature also needs to establish “net metering” to allow wind and solar producers to be paid for the excess electricity they put back into the electrical grid.
H) The large wind turbine fiberglass blades, turbines and towers can also be manufactured in Kansas rather than be shipped from overseas. Plus, the transmission line from Western Kansas is ready to start construction in 2008 to carry this wind generated electricity from these new wind farms to the majority of customers in Eastern Kansas.
So, please take time THIS WEEK to let your voice be heard. We are in the final minute of the 4th quarter. It is TIME FOR EACH OF US TO ACT!!!
These three political leaders need to know that the future health of all Kansans plus the environment of our State and planet are more important than allowing a hand full of investors to get richer at the expense of our planet. Kansas has enough prevailing wind to generate 7,000 to 10,000 megawatts of electricity. So, Kansans have a choice. We do not need to pollute Mother Earth and damage our health to “keep the lights on”.
Have a GREAT DAY!!
Walt Chappell, Ph.D.
Box 776, Wichita, Kansas USA 67201
(316)838-7900(P)/(316)208-4565(C)
chappells2u@cox.net