Group voices concerns over potential pollutants

WOODS CROSS — About 130 people crammed into Woods Cross City Hall to learn about the harmful effects pollutants can pose to children, a meeting organized by a physicians group that opposes the construction of a power plant in neighboring West Bountiful.

Their concern is lead, a heavy metal released during combustion that can cause irreparable brain damage.

All children have lead in their systems, says Dr. Scott Hurst, a member of the Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment, "But the medical literature says there is not an amount that is not dangerous."

The Utah Division of Air Quality, which is holding a public hearing on an operating permit for the 109 megawatt power plant on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m., has recommended the permit be approved, because the facility is not expected to drastically increase the air pollution in Davis County.

Consolidated Energy wants to build the power plant to run on residual oil and petroleum coke, two cheap, but dirty, fuels that are byproducts of the refining process.

The oil would come from Holly Oil's Woods Cross Refinery in West Bountiful and the petroleum coke would be shipped from Montana and Wyoming.

Power generated from the facility would be sold to the public grid and any steam generated would be sold to Holly.

DAQ's permit would mandate sophisticated pollution control equipment so that the plant's pollutants would account for less than 1 percent of most pollutants in Davis County, says David Kopta, the consultant who prepared Consolidated Energy's notice of intent to build the facility.

Other potential pollutants raising concern with the group include vanadium and nickel, which can cause cancer, genetic damage and premature death.

Dr. Brian Moench, president of the physicians group, said the plant "would be like lighting a giant cigarette in your community that would burn 24 hours a day, 365 days a year."

Moench claims the plant could spread more than 1 million pounds of pollution annually.

"It will go everywhere, will be inhaled by virtually every person here with virtually every breath you take," he said.

Kopta noted that motor vehicles account for 75 percent of total pollutants in Davis County and said, "They (group members) should be more concerned about their own cars than this power plant."