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"It's the right thing to do" for the environment, said Ralph Johnson, head of UGA's physical plant - but it also could save the school millions of dollars, he says. To reduce pollution, UGA plans to put a $2.5 million filtering system on the coal-fired boiler that provides energy for much of UGA's heating needs. The filter system, scheduled to be installed next year, would dramatically cut UGA's emissions of sulfur dioxide (SO2) and hydrogen chloride (HCl), said Ken Crowe, assistant director of utilities at UGA. Tests earlier this year showed UGA emits about 500 tons a year of SO2, mainly from the coal boiler; the new filter system will cut that in half, Crowe said. The plant emits at most 10 tons a year of HCl, and that will be reduced by 90 percent, he said. The university also puts about 112 tons of particulate matter into the air above Athens, also mainly from burning coal, but it's not clear how much the new filter system will cut that pollution, he said. UGA's air pollution permit with the state covers the coal boiler and 10 other campus pollution sources, including incinerators for biological waste and other boilers that burn gas or oil instead of coal. But those contribute much less pollution than the coal boiler. "Coal is by far the largest emitter on campus. This will be a very significant reduction of our overall emissions," Johnson said. New state rules governing pollution from coal-fired boilers (except those owned by electric utilities) go into effect next year, and if UGA does not reduce its emissions, the university would be considered a "major source" of some kinds of pollution under those new rules, Johnson said. Being designated a major source would require UGA to spend more money on measuring its pollution. It also could limit UGA's ability to keep using coal to heat the campus, and coal is a cheaper fuel source by far than alternative fuels such as natural gas or oil, he said. UGA burns about 16,000 tons of coal a year, and if UGA had to burn natural gas instead, it would have cost the university an additional $2 million last year, Crowe said. Natural gas prices have fallen, so the amount UGA saves by burning coal instead of natural gas is less this year, but still significant, he said. Under state rules, getting the "major source" label could limit UGA's ability to expand or change its boiler system in the future, especially if air quality in the Athens area continues to deteriorate. The university likely will need to expand its heating capacity in the near future, but it's been hard to gauge how soon because Athens hasn't seen a very cold winter for a few years, Johnson said. UGA is trying to keep its options open before expanding its heating system because of continuing changes in the energy arena - such as high petroleum prices, volatile natural gas prices and the possibility that biofuels could be a significant source in the future, Crowe said. If the air quality in Athens continues its recent downward slide, state rules designed to reduce pollution in areas that fail to meet quality standards could kick in, which would limit expansion options not only for UGA but area industries that produce air pollution. State air monitors in Athens this year recorded five violations of state ozone standards, meaning the air on those days can actually harm the health of vulnerable groups such as children, athletes and people with respiratory ailments. In addition, levels of another kind of pollution called "fine particles" have been rising in Athens' air for the past two years. "(Athens' air quality is) getting worse, not better," said Justine Thompson of the Georgia Center for Law in the Public Interest. "Right now, Athens is on the cusp of going into non-attainment." Despite UGA's proposal to reduce its pollution, the trend locally and statewide is for more emissions, not less, Thompson said. For example, Athens' CertainTeed fiberglass factory has asked for EPD approval to boost its levels of pollution by hundreds of tons a year, while a proposed 1,200-megawatt coal-burning power plant in southwest Georgia could worsen air quality statewide, Thompson said. FILTERING EMISSIONS Major campus sources of air pollution include the coal-fired boiler supplying most of the university's heating needs, as well as incinerators for biological waste and boilers that burn gas or oil instead of coal. . Published in the Athens Banner-Herald: Story updated at 11:20 PM on Friday, October 20, 2006 By Lee Shearer lee.shearer@onlineathens.com |
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