Miller Steam Plant

{{#badges:CoalSwarm}} James H. Miller Jr. Steam Plant is a 2,822.0-megawatt (MW) coal-fired power station owned and operated by Southern Company near Quinton, Alabama.

Location

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Plant Data

• Owner: Alabama Power Company
• Parent Company: Southern Company
• Plant Nameplate Capacity: 2,822.0 MW (Megawatts)
• Units and In-Service Dates: Unit 1: 705.5 MW (1978), Unit 2: 705.5 MW (1985), Unit 3: 705.5 MW (1989), Unit 4: 705.5 MW (1991)
• Location: 4250 Porter Rd., Quinton, AL 35130
• GPS Coordinates: 33.645632, -87.057069
• Technology: Subcritical
• Coal type: Sub Bituminous
• Coal Consumption:
• Coal Source: Antelope Coal Mine (Kennot Coal Sales), Black Thunder Mine (Arch Coal), North Antelope Rochelle Mine (Peabody Coal Sales)
• Number of Employees:
• Unit Retirements:

Emissions Data

• 2006 CO₂ Emissions: 23,466,022 tons
• 2006 SO₂ Emissions: 53,379 tons
• 2006 SO₂ Emissions per MWh:
• 2006 NO_x Emissions: 21,237 tons
• 2005 Mercury Emissions: 1,595 lb.

Coal Waste Site

• Miller Steam Plant Ash Pond

Alabama Power Company Clean Air Settlement

On April 25, 2006 the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. EPA announced a partial settlement alleging that the Alabama Power Company, a subsidiary of the Southern Company had allegedly violated New Source Review (NSR) provisions of the Clean Air Act at its Miller Steam Plant, a coal-fired power plant.

The EPA announced that its decree will reduce emissions of harmful sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) from the plant, with costs that will reach $200 million.

"We are pleased that Alabama Power has committed to measures that will reduce the pollution from their plants and contribute to overall improved air quality, and this settlement secures for the citizens of Alabama and downwind states a dramatic and permanent reduction of more than 27,000 tons per year of harmful air pollutants from the James H. Miller, Jr. Plant," said Granta Y, Nakayama, assistant administrator for EPA's Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. "EPA will continue to enforce our nation's environmental laws and bring us closer to ensuring clean air compliance across our nation."

By May 1, 2008, the Miller plant will commence year round operation at both it units in order to reduce emissions. The EPA also noted that in order to "further reduce SO2 emissions into the atmosphere, Alabama Power will purchase and retire $4.9 million worth of SO2 allowances (each allowance is equal to one ton of SO2) under the acid rain trading program of the Clean Air Act, which will reduce SO2 emissions nationwide by an estimated 6,600 tons."

This partial settlement resolves the claim brought to Alabama Power that they allegedly violated NSR requirements by not completing construction of two units at the Miller plant within the time frame required to qualify as "existing" rather and "new" air pollution sources.

Pollution Emissions

Miller ranked 15th on list of most polluting power plants in terms of coal waste

In January 2009, Sue Sturgis of the Institute of Southern Studies compiled a list of the 100 most polluting coal plants in the United States in terms of coal combustion waste (CCW) stored in surface impoundments like the one involved in the TVA Kingston Fossil Plant coal ash spill. The data came from the EPA's Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) for 2006, the most recent year available.

Miller Steam Plant ranked number 15 on the list, with 2,160,349 pounds of coal combustion waste released to surface impoundments in 2006.

Miller ranked 2nd in terms of largest carbon dioxide emissions

According to a 2009 report by Environment America, "America's Biggest Polluters," the Miller plant is the second dirtiest plant in the nation, releasing 23.7 million tons of carbon dioxide in 2007. Ranking is based upon Environmental Protection Agency data.

In January 2012, the Environmental Protection Agency unveiled a new website that identifies most of the nation's biggest emitters of carbon dioxide, methane and other greenhouse gases. Two Southern Company coal plants near Atlanta are identified as the biggest contributors to U.S. global greenhouse gases - the Scherer Steam Generating Station in Juliette and Plant Bowen west of Cartersville, respectively - with a third Southern plant in Alabama identified as the third-biggest emitter, the Miller Steam Plant in Quinton.

Miller ranked 7th in terms of mercury emissions

A 2010 report by the Environmental Integrity Project using EPA data found that Miller is the 7th worst mercury polluter in the United States, emitting 1,158 pounds of mercury in 2008, the most recent year for data.

Miller plant highest in coal ash toxins

According to a 2011 analysis of data in the U.S. EPA's Toxic Release Inventory, the Environmental Integrity Project found that Alabama Power's Miller Steam Plant in western Jefferson County, Alabama, sends more toxic metals to its ash pond than any other plant in the country -- more than 5 million pounds annually.

Citizen Groups

See also Alabama and coal

• Black Warrior Riverkeeper
• GASP (formerly Alabama First)

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

• EPA Coal Plant Settlements
• Existing U.S. Coal Plants
• Alabama and coal
• Southern Company
• United States and coal
• Global warming
• Coal

External Articles

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