Michigan Utility To Reduce Emissions From Its Coal Burning Plants As Part of Federal Settlement

The Michigan utility Consumers Energy agreed to a proposed settlement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Justice Department to reduce emission including sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, and particulate matter at its coal-fired plants, which were found to exceed allowable levels under the Clean Air Act.

Consumers Energy Coal Fired Power Plant near Bay City, Michigan. Photo courtesy of MLive Media Group.

The agreement will affect the company’s five Michigan coal-fired plants located in West Olive, Essexville, Muskegon, and Luna Pier. Each plant has several coal burning operating units, having a total of 12 units.

As part of the agreement, the company said that it will shut down its seven oldest coal-fired units - three units at the J.R. Whiting Generating Complex near Luna Pier; two at the B.C Cobb Generating Plant in Muskegon; and two at the Karn/Weadock Generating Complex near Bay City bordering Essexville.

Consumers Energy said that these units will comply with new emissions limits until their retirement in April 2016. In the meantime, the settlement agreement will require the company to continue operating existing pollution controls, as well as install new pollution controls onto these and all other remaining units to meet current Clean Air Act emissions standards.

The EPA says that sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide are the two predominant pollutants emitted from the power plants. The agency adds that these pollutants can then be “breathed in and lodged deep in the lungs, leading to a variety of health problems and even premature death.”

The EPA explains that high concentrations of sulfur dioxide can effect breathing and aggravate existing respiratory and cardiovascular disease. Those most at risk include people with asthma, bronchitis and emphysema, as well as children and the elderly. Sulfur dioxide is also a primary contributor to acid rain.

As part of the settlement requirements to lower emissions, Consumers Energy says it plans to spend up to $4 million to develop and install renewable energy projects including anaerobic digestion, wind, and solar.

While the wind and solar projects are self-explanatory, the EPA explains that anaerobic digestion is a process where microorganisms break down organic materials in the absence of oxygen. As part of the process, biogas (made primarily of methane and carbon dioxide) can be used as an energy source similar to natural gas.

The EPA adds that the company will also be required to “spend no less than $1 million and up to $2 million” to sponsor a wood-burning equipment replacement and/or retrofit project. The agency says that this project will replace or retrofit inefficient, higher-polluting wood-burning or coal equipment with cleaner-burning, more energy-efficient heating equipment and technologies.

The EPA says it expects that the actions required by the settlement to reduce harmful emissions by over 46,500 tons per year, which includes about 38,400 tons per year of sulfur dioxide and 8,100 tons per year of nitrogen oxide.

The EPA adds that the settlement will also require the company to pay a civil penalty of $2.75 million to resolve the Clean Air Act violations, and spend at least $7.7 million on environmental projects to help mitigate the harmful effects of air pollution on the environment and the local community.

Consumers Energy is Michigan’s largest utility and provides natural gas and electricity to an estimated 6.5 million residents in the state’s 68 Lower Peninsula counties. The company is the principal subsidiary of CMS Energy. 

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