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TOPICS: coal, sierra club, sustainability
The use of coal as a fuel source in Virginia Tech’s steam plant continues to ignite controversy and conflict as groups such as Tech’s Sierra Club chapter pressure the university to eliminate coal altogether.
Tech’s steam plant provides most of the heat on campus and consists of five boilers, two of which are run on coal — the cause of much of the dispute between departments, organizations, and environmentalists in the Tech community.
Haiz Oppenheimer of Green Corps was hired by the Sierra Club to help mentor its on-campus student organization and campaign to eliminate Tech’s coal use, replacing it with “more sustainable” energy sources. He admits it is not an easy task.
“The coal industry has such a lock on the economy,” Oppenheimer said.
Tech, by itself, produces approximately 23 percent of Blacksburg’s greenhouse gas emissions. Activists are quick to seize upon that figure when calling for the university to substitute coal with natural gas or sustainably-sourced biomass.
“Neither option is all that great, but that’s what we are faced with for the next few years,” Oppenheimer said.
The plant is a “balancing act,” said Dennis Cochrane, sustainability program manager at Tech. Although aware of the negative impacts of coal on the environment, Cochrane said it was currently also Tech’s most reliable option.
The transition from coal is not limited to trying to cap emissions. Concerns about coal’s detrimental impacts on health at Tech are also used to justify a phase-out of the fossil fuel, Oppenheimer said.
He maintained that coal caused respiratory problems, including asthma, because of the pollutants — carbon dioxide, mercury, and arsenic, among others — that are emitted during the burning process.
The reasons add up for members of Beyond Coal at Virginia Tech, who ask that the university eliminate the burning of coal at Tech by the year 2020.
Still, Cochrane said that although coal has some harmful effects, fossil fuel, at the moment, “works best for us” at Tech’s plant.
The search for alternative fuels is far from over.
Facilities has replaced outdated pipes and updated burner units on non-coal boilers, thereby conserving energy and reducing the number of pollutants emitted. In addition, a baghouse gas scrubber, an environmental cleaning device, was placed on an older boiler to “anticipate tighter restrictions.”
Additionally, No. 6 fuel oil, a thick substance, has been replaced with No. 2 oil, similar to that of diesel.
Tech has made significant adjustments in the past few years, said Ben Myers, director of utilities and building systems at Tech.
“Its going to be difficult, but we are moving in that direction,” Myers said.
Cochrane and Myers both claimed that Tech has gone well beyond the minimal requirements for the steam plant, as established by the Environmental Protection Agency.
Nevertheless, they acknowledged the need for more change to maintain the plant’s productivity and environmental health.
“We are not 100 percent where we want or need to be,” Myers said.
In June 2009, the Board of Visitors approved the Climate Action Commitment Resolution, calling for a reduction in greenhouse gases to 2000 levels by 2025. The resolution was pursued in place of committing to a broader, nationwide effort, the American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment.
The resolution aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions of 80 percent below the 1995 levels.
“President Steger made a huge and bold step,” Cochrane said.
Oppenheimer also commended Steger and the commitment in principle, but expressed disappointment at the details.
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Saving the soul of the university give me a break. How about we save the students at Tech some green by keeping energy prices down. If you want to talk about sustainability we have enough coal to last us over a 1000 years, natural gas is projected at 150 years tops. Tech has already taken enough steps to meet the needs of the EPA and still has improved on the cleanliness of the plant. We've done more than our fair share, coal is an important part of our future energy needs. It's not the evil boogieman you sierra clubbers think it is. Especially in a time when Tech is in a budget crisis we do not need to replace an economical energy source with a less efficient and more expensive one. There is an economic argument here that is being completely ignored by the environmental side and until you guys can adequately address it you're not going to gain support.
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Anonymous, I agree with you on only one point; we do need to save money on campus and that can be easily reflected by creating a realistic and innovative plan to end our use of coal on campus.
And no one said that coal is the boogeyman. When I speak out against coal, I'm referencing the coal industries that pressure mountain communities into unhealthy and unsustainable jobs while ruining Appalachia. I'm referencing the terrifying ecological, human and economic consequences of rising carbon emissions and worsening climate change.
And if you don't believe in global warming, there are still more reasons to end our addiction to cheap, but destructive, coal. Coal seams are natural water filters; so when we knock over mountain top for that coal we're not only losing a natural protectant for our waterways, we're stopping and polluting the headwater of the Appalachia region. There are direct health issues related to mining practices, burning coal, CCS, etc.
Environmentalists pay taxes and want cheap energy too. We're all in this together whether you realize it or not.
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Well Kara I'm not saying no to change for the sake of not changing. I'm saying no because I don't make to pay more for energy or have anyone else pay more. You are right that there are externalities to the use of coal but you are also correct in assuming I'm unconvinced by the evidence for climate change. I'm not saying the coal plant should never be replaced I'm saying we should wait until the technology improves and we are in a better budget situation. That way we can do this with as little a cost as possible to the student body. We're in bad straits right now gov't funding is being slashed and our football team isn't making a BCS bowl this year. Tech is out alot of money tuition is going to go up enough as is lets wait a few years on this one.
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Your right that this is an issue of economics. But it seems as if you are simply turning a blind eye to the complete economy of coal. We've been charging the true costs to future generations by failing to account for the complete costs of the destruction rendered by Mountain Top Removal, failing to use CO2 sequestration and improper disposal of heavy medal laden fly ash.
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Well, you better get working on fixing that. Ecconomically of course... You should Jane plants as your roof for the CO2 and for the fly ash, just stick it back where we got it, there should be enough mines... We are even putting less material back. Wow, that was hard... NOT
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Jane=have... Stupid corrections the phone does
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There are actually only two coal boilers and three natural gas or fuil oil boilers, they are not all coal.
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Fuel* for fuil
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Not going to jump in the debate about the soul of anything...just going to point out that as one of the leading universities in new technology, bio technology, engineering, etc...VA Tech should have not even one second of jumping into the 22nd Century as PROOF of our collective intelligence. There should be a brilliant maze of Photovolic Cells placed atop every single building on this campus
- we are talking millions of square feet of surface area no one ever sees...that alone will remove a certain percentage from the Coal Power Grid...next, we should be leaping ahead in finding the cleanest way to process and use coal IF that even exists. I don't think that ultimately it does...but one can also assume that like them or not...our coal industry is operating at status quo rather than bettering their practices. They can figure out a way to make it "harmless" and I'll be at the front of the line supporting them. Otherwise...
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(My typing got the best of me, must amend this sentence)...VA Tech should have not even one second of HESITATION ABOUT jumping into the 22nd Century as PROOF of our collective intelligence.
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Jumping on a bandwagon is not economically sound... prices drop once the bugs have been worked out and the public thinks it is economically sound and a wise investment. If you are one of the first people to buy into an idea, you end up with a inferior product for a larger price. We should wait it out until it becomes economical.
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This is just asinine. Coal will be a major driver of the of the energy supply of the US for decades to come. The physical plant has installed more emissions controls than what is currently required. Sure they could do more. So could everyone. But there is a cost to everything. Would every student be will to pay an extra $1,000 each year so that the University only uses renewable? Probably not!
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Great job Hokies!!! As a former Thomas resident I remember coal dust filled screens and bad smells. Not the future I want for the campus or our world. End coal use on campus!!!
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The coal dust is now being filtered out at the plant. So your worries are actually addressed.
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Virginia Tech needs live up to its slogan and "invent the future." Coal fueled the Industrial Revolution. But now we're moving at the exponential pace of the technological revolution. Time for a new, sustainable fuel source. Fossil fuels are for dinosaurs.
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VRFZ technology is not new, it is very clean, effiecient, LEED, and already in use on VT campus as well as many others around the nation. I am in awe that a Director of Green Technology would not be more informed on the benefits of VRF. The answer to your dilema is already on campus. Google Mitsubishi City Multi or reply to e-mail address for more information.
visit www.mrslim.com and click on citymulti.
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