Bruce Mansfield Power Station

{{#badges: Climate change |CoalSwarm}} Bruce Mansfield Power Station is a coal-fired power station owned and operated by FirstEnergy near Shippingport, Pennsylvania.

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Plant Data

• Owner/Parent Company: FirstEnergy
• Plant Nameplate Capacity: 2,741 MW
• Units and In-Service Dates: 914 MW (1976), 914 MW (1977), 914 MW (1980)
• Location: 165 SR 3016, Shippingport, PA 15077
• GPS Coordinates: 40.638056, -80.416111
• Coal Consumption: 6.1 million tons
• Coal Source: Consol Energy's McElroy mine - Moundsville, WV
• Number of Employees: 105

Emissions Data

• 2006 CO₂ Emissions: 17,400,000 tons
• 2006 SO₂ Emissions: 24,882 tons
• 2006 NO_x Emissions: 29,869 tons
• 2005 Mercury Emissions: 185 pounds

Toxic Waste Data

• Arsenic Waste: 119,711 pounds
  • Air Release: 2,211 pounds
  • Land Release (surface impoundment): 117,500 pounds
• Chromium Waste: 186,050 pounds
  • Air Release: 2,400 pounds
  • Water Release (Ohio River): 250 pounds
  • Land Release (landfill): 183,400 pounds
• Dioxin Waste: 3.66 grams
  • Air Release: 3.66 grams
• Lead Waste: 106,234 pounds
  • Air Release: 2,010 pounds
  • Water Release (Ohio River): 224 pounds
  • Land Release (landfill): 104,000 pounds
• Mercury Waste: 1,425 pounds
  • Air Release: 185 pounds
  • Land Release (landfill): 1,240 pounds
• Nickel Waste: 149,555 pounds
  • Air Release: 2,305 pounds
  • Water Release (Ohio River): 250 pounds
  • Land Release (landfill): 147,000 pounds
• Selenium Waste: 43,876 pounds
  • Air Release: 5,006 pounds
  • Water Release (Ohio River): 250 pounds
  • Land Release (landfill): 38,620 pounds

Accidents and Negligence

• July 22, 2006
  • While washing soot from two giant fans that draw gases from the pulverized coal burner into the scrubber, soot-laden water was blown out of the smoke stack and blanketed a 5-mile radius around Shippingport.
  • The “black rain” contained heavy metals such as mercury, hydrocarbons (including known carcinogens), and 30% black soot. The rain is oily and difficult to remove without high water pressure and intensive scrubbing.
  • Residents within this 5-mile radius experience black rain approximately once a month as well as “stack rain”, a lime-based gray-colored rain that is a nuisance as well.
  • Residents living in this area were advised that, if they wear masks while mowing the lawn and wash hands and faces when coming indoors, they should see no health risks.
  • However, they were also warned to not eat fruit, vegetables, or livestock that came in contact with the black rain.
  • FirstEnergy contracted out 20 men to help clean up 250 private residences and also purchased all crops and honey from that season, but many are claiming it is not enough. Windshield wipers still smear black and cars, pools, and houses are damaged where pressure hoses were used to remove the black.
  • FirstEnergy was fined a mere $25,000
  • In the weeks after this event, one four-year-old girl lost her hair due to a rare condition known as alopecia, one of the causes of which is thallium, found in the black soot that blanketed the girl and her toys. Many other cases of body-covering welts, one man has severe respiratory problems, and many say that the valley reports high levels of cancer.
  • The State Department of Health refused to conduct a study on the effect of black rain on residents.
• June 10, 2007
  • For the second time in less than a year, “stack rain” fell on the homes surrounding the Bruce Mansfield plant.
  • This time it was gray, gritty soot that blanketed nearly 30 homes. FirstEnergy was quick to respond by cleaning the affected homes.
  • FirstEnergy claimed that a malfunctioning scrubber that has since been replaced caused the rain. They also claimed that they would be inspecting the scrubber systems during maintenance to make sure that sooty deposits do not build up and cause another rainout.
  • Again, merely a $25,000 fine.

Litigation and Controversy

• June 28, 2004
  • The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers filed an unfair labor practices complaint with the NLRB, claiming that FirstEnergy is not bargaining properly.
  • 360 workers have been without a contract since their contract expired in February.
• October 18, 2007
  • PennFuture and the Environmental Integrity Project announced their intention to sue the Bruce Mansfield plant for violations of the federal Clean Air Act and the Pennsylvania Air Pollution Control Act.
  • FirstEnergy provided records showing 257 counts of harmful and illegal air pollution between Nov. 22, 2002 and March 29, 2007.
• July 22, 2008
  • The parents of the girl who may have lost her hair and developed other health problems from the black rain incident in 2006 are suing FirstEnergy for damages related to their daughter’s illness.
• January 7, 2009
  • The Environmental Integrity Project is beginning to express concern over the Little Blue Run fly ash dump which the EIP says could be a bigger disaster than the Tennessee spill should the dam happen to break.
  • Residents living around the lake claim that the lack of wildlife and dead trees are a result of the fly ash dump and possible ground leakage of highly toxic chemical concentrations.

Articles and Resources

Sources

• Existing Electric Generating Units in the United States, 2005, Energy Information Administration, accessed Jan. 2009.
• Environmental Integrity Project, "Dirty Kilowatts: America’s Most Polluting Power Plants", July 2007.
• Facility Registry System, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, accessed Jan. 2009.

Related SourceWatch Articles

• Existing U.S. Coal Plants
• Pennsylvania and coal
• FirstEnergy
• United States and coal
• Global warming

External Articles

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