Fayette Coal: Difference between revisions
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= Power Plant = | = Power Plant = | ||
The Fayette Power Project is a coal-fired plant, run and co-owned by | The Fayette Power Project is a coal-fired plant, run and co-owned by [[Austin Energy]] and [[The Lower Colorado River Authority]] (LCRA). The first plant was built in 1979, with the third and final unit completed in 1988. The plant is located on SH 71 between the cities of [[La Grange, Tx]], and [[Ellinger, Tx]] about 88 miles away from the City of Austin. The plant has been susceptible to environmental hazard claims made by both locals and environmental groups that led to the City of Austin's commitment to close its portion by the end of 2021 but, rolled back its plan, citing it could not reach an agreement with LCRA. | ||
"We've been talking to LCRA for a while," Pat Sweeny, Austin Energy's vice president for power production, told KUT, "At the end of the day, we just couldn't come to terms that both parties could agree to, to allow us to exit at an affordable basis and at the timeline that was contemplated." <ref>https://www.austinmonitor.com/stories/2021/11/austin-will-keep-running-fayette-coal-power-plant-missing-key-climate-goal/</ref> | |||
Shutting down its portion of the plant by 2022 had been a key part of the [[Austin Climate Equity Plan]] in archiving the city's climate goals. | |||
== Crop failure linked to Fayette == | |||
Along the stretch of Tx Highway 21, a small town with a population of about 4,483 experiences what many environmentalists, botanists, and scientists would describe as a vegetative [[wasteland]]. From the fallen, dead tree limbs covered in gray, indicating sulfur dioxide contamination; to the concerned local pecan growers. | |||
Harvey Hayek <ref>https://www.albradenphoto.com/image?&_bqG=42&_bqH=eJyrcs0yy_f1MyqI90ny88v01S3NzTQsyCw0CMy2MjQ0sjI0MABhIOkZ7xLsbOucn5ijBmbGO_q52JYA2aHBrkHxni62oSBlLuEeaYUR4UlJ2cVq8Y7OIbbFqYlFyRkAUP4fdw--&GI_ID=</ref>, a pecan grower in Elliger, Tx has been vocal about the issue for over 30 years and has documented the slowed killed of two-thirds of his family's 250-acre pecan orchard. During a news conference held in the City of Austin, Hayek demanded compensation and research be conducted on how much pollution is being emitted | |||
= Litigation = | = Litigation = | ||
LCRA’s Fayette Power Project is under legal attack by three anti-pollution groups who filed a federal lawsuit on Monday against the coal-fired power plant located near La Grange, about 100 miles northwest of [[Houston]]. <ref>https://www.citizen.org/news/austins-fayette-coal-fired-power-plant-sued/</ref>. | LCRA’s Fayette Power Project is under legal attack by three anti-pollution groups who filed a federal lawsuit on Monday against the coal-fired power plant located near La Grange, about 100 miles northwest of [[Houston]]. <ref>https://www.citizen.org/news/austins-fayette-coal-fired-power-plant-sued/</ref>. | ||
Latest revision as of 16:36, 17 November 2022
Power Plant
The Fayette Power Project is a coal-fired plant, run and co-owned by Austin Energy and The Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA). The first plant was built in 1979, with the third and final unit completed in 1988. The plant is located on SH 71 between the cities of La Grange, Tx, and Ellinger, Tx about 88 miles away from the City of Austin. The plant has been susceptible to environmental hazard claims made by both locals and environmental groups that led to the City of Austin's commitment to close its portion by the end of 2021 but, rolled back its plan, citing it could not reach an agreement with LCRA.
"We've been talking to LCRA for a while," Pat Sweeny, Austin Energy's vice president for power production, told KUT, "At the end of the day, we just couldn't come to terms that both parties could agree to, to allow us to exit at an affordable basis and at the timeline that was contemplated." [1]
Shutting down its portion of the plant by 2022 had been a key part of the Austin Climate Equity Plan in archiving the city's climate goals.
Crop failure linked to Fayette
Along the stretch of Tx Highway 21, a small town with a population of about 4,483 experiences what many environmentalists, botanists, and scientists would describe as a vegetative wasteland. From the fallen, dead tree limbs covered in gray, indicating sulfur dioxide contamination; to the concerned local pecan growers.
Harvey Hayek [2], a pecan grower in Elliger, Tx has been vocal about the issue for over 30 years and has documented the slowed killed of two-thirds of his family's 250-acre pecan orchard. During a news conference held in the City of Austin, Hayek demanded compensation and research be conducted on how much pollution is being emitted
Litigation
LCRA’s Fayette Power Project is under legal attack by three anti-pollution groups who filed a federal lawsuit on Monday against the coal-fired power plant located near La Grange, about 100 miles northwest of Houston. [3].
- ↑ https://www.austinmonitor.com/stories/2021/11/austin-will-keep-running-fayette-coal-power-plant-missing-key-climate-goal/
- ↑ https://www.albradenphoto.com/image?&_bqG=42&_bqH=eJyrcs0yy_f1MyqI90ny88v01S3NzTQsyCw0CMy2MjQ0sjI0MABhIOkZ7xLsbOucn5ijBmbGO_q52JYA2aHBrkHxni62oSBlLuEeaYUR4UlJ2cVq8Y7OIbbFqYlFyRkAUP4fdw--&GI_ID=
- ↑ https://www.citizen.org/news/austins-fayette-coal-fired-power-plant-sued/