Last day to comment on Titan Cement

Along the banks of the mercury impaired Northeast Cape Fear River, Titan America plans to build the fourth-largest cement plant and limestone mine in the country. Proposed emissions: over 140 hazardous and toxic air pollutants including mercury, particulate matter, nitrogen oxide (NOx), and sulfur dioxide.

That's all in the draft air permit, over which the public comment period ends today. Inextricably linked with the public health and water quality issues is the rapid pace the state has taken with the permitting process.

As our Cape Fear group chair wrote back in September, normally a project of similar size and scope would trigger the NC Environmental Policy Act (SEPA). SEPA is triggered when the following conditions are met: (1) state permitting is needed for the project (2) the project will have significant environmental impact, and (3) public money has been accepted by the company. All conditions seem to apply to the proposed cement kiln in Wilmington. Titan has claimed that though they accepted $4,000,000 in public money, it doesn't apply to Point 3 because the funds are technically a reduction in taxes after the project is completed. The North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) originally determined that SEPA applied, but subsequently rescinded.

And there's more, of course. The US EPA currently has draft rules w/r/t emissions from cement kilns, and the maximum limit laid out in those rules would be exceeded by the permit granted to Titan America by the state of North Carolina. As the Charlotte Observer put it: "The state has put the cart ahead of the horse..."

NC's role in national climate debate

Cathy Duvall, Sierra Club's National Political Director, spoke last night in Chapel Hill about the future of climate legislation on Capitol Hill and the role North Carolina might play in the vital debate. A sizable crowd filled 3 Cups to the brim to hear how Sierrans can play a major role in breaking the stranglehold that utilities hold over the South and bring about real change.

With Congress back from its August recess, the debate on Waxman-Markey and Barbara Boxer's (D-CA) expected companion legislation in the Senate will head towards resolution. Senators from the South - Kay Hagan in particular - will play a key role in the success or failure of the bill.

Intermodal Bill now law

Apple Server Farm

Earlier this summer, Apple selected Maiden, North Carolina, as the future location of a massive new server farm. Mass speculation continues to this day over its purpose (re: with no search engine, what's it for?) - iPhone Apps? Cloud computing services like MobileMe or the iTunes store?

Regardless of its unannounced purpose, here's what we know from published reports.

Size.

183 acres. Development of the one billion dollar, 500,000-square foot building was scheduled to begin as early as August, but we've yet to see any word that construction has broken ground.

Energy Use.

The numbers on this, unfortunately, are all over the map. It's hard to tell which sources are speculative...so, a few key points.

1. A similar 174 acre server farm built in California uses 180 megawatts of energy, enough to power all the homes in Honolulu. But that was back in 2002.


2. The buildings need to stay around a temp of 68 degrees, so air conditioning in these buildings, especially in the South, are large power drainers.


3. From Data Center Knowledge: County officials have also been working with T5 Mission Critical Facilities, a company formed recently by former members of the data center practice at the Staubach Company. T5 is developing a site near Route 321 in with an existing 150,000 powered shell with up to 120 megawatts of power available for a single large user. The company says the power from Duke Energy is priced at 3.8 to 4.4 cents per kWh.

(so, by this estimate, they'll at least be taking in 120 MW at a negotiated price)
4. A large water project in nearby Hickory will also help cool the plant.
5. Another interesting quote about location and energy use:
   "That parcel was a winner because it has access to large amounts of power and water and both primary and backup supplies of each, he said.
   
   That redundancy will be key to keeping Apples' many computer servers powered and cool, even if there is a storm or water-line break.
   
   A 36-inch water line from Hickory runs 2,000 feet from the site and a new, smaller loop line in the same area will provide backup service. Duke Energy also has two major lines running south from Hickory and north from Lincolnton.
   
   The data center will use about 20 megawatts annually – enough to power 16,000 homes."
   

Solipsism anyone?

Echoes and reverberations of the "drill, baby, drill" chorus won't go away. It hit NC, too, in 2008, and now we have a July 28, 2009 byline.

The Southeast Energy Alliance, a consortium of oil and gas interests, recently revealed what's waiting just off the coast - jobs and money, allegedly.

If only I could give the estimate a closer look... You see, as of 10:14 a.m. Google won't let me visit the site of the Southeast Energy Alliance. The Warning: "This site may harm your computer." Bing: ditto. That rules out me actually reading the report, but I can probably intuit its contents: drilling is an economic panacea and if only those dastardly environmental hippies weren't preventing people from having jobs.

Well, no. Let's recap. The main reason many environmental groups oppose offshore drilling is that it doesn't really solve any of the problems it's purported to.

1. It takes years and millions in subsidies to get the oil.
2. The oil conglomerates aren't required to sell the oil here in the US.
3. Fossil fuels aren't efficient, the price fluctuates at the whim of vaguely understood interest groups like OPEC and speculators, and the emissions aren't all that great (purposefully understated).

How about some NC based reasons:

• Do we really want massive tankers in "the Graveyard of the Atlantic?"
• Hurricanes
• No oil refineries in our state
• See reason 2 above and replace "US" with "NC"

To my mind, the worst frame on offshore drilling is the constant appeal that this is about state's rights. Well, actually, the waters of the state of North Carolina extend to about three miles offshore, and the sounds, and maybe a few other small outliers. Further than that and you've got federal waters and federal leases.

So, let's look at the Gulf states, who are apparently just rolling in the oil dough. From the same article linked above:

Gulf states currently share royalties from federal leases, but the figures are modest: about $25 million shared among four states last year.

By those numbers, each state got a whopping $6.25 million dollars. Last I checked, the North Carolina budget deficit stood over a billion dollars. Plain and simple, the typical (remember, I can't get access to the report so I have to generalize) pro-drilling argument is comprised of oversimplifications, wishful thinking and endless speculation.

What we know: the NC coast has thriving fisheries and an economically important coastal tourism industry, both of which would be impacted by drilling. It's a cost/benefit situation, not a win/win.