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Citizens Resist Tondu Coal Gasification Plant

August 19, 2005
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Contents:

Appeal from Laura Fuderer

In the last few days a lot of people have learned a lot about the Tondu Corp. and its proposed coal gasification plant for St. Jo. County. I'm asking you, PLEASE, PLEASE do call or FAX your county councilman (listed below) to OPPOSE the plant at least until more information is provided. They're to vote on the proposal Sept. 13th.

Also, do tell all your neighbors and relatives: THIS IS NOT JUST NEW CARLISLE'S PROBLEM--it will pollute the air for all of us who are downwind (i.e., east) of New Carlisle!

The County Council needs to hear from as many people as possible if we're to persuade them. We don't want development for development's sake, regardless of consequences. In fact, I've been told each of us should contact every one of the council members with our objections. I'm going to write one letter and FAX it to each of them.

See Joe Miller's letter to the editor of the South Bend Tribune below for details...

A thousand thanks.

Laura

St. Joseph County Council

227 W. Jefferson Blvd., County-City Bldg., 4th Floor, South Bend, IN 46601; 235-9658, 235-5022 (fax)

County Commission:

same address as Council; 235-9534, 235-7849 (fax)

Joe Miller's letter to the SB Tribune

Tondu Corporation's proposal to build a billion dollar coal gasification plant near New Carlisle should be rejected.

Citizens and officials should heed a Michigan Land Use Institute article describing the commercially unproven nature of coal gasification technology, and its need for extensive subsidies.

As described in the article, widespread adoption of energy efficiency technologies is a far more economical way to meet society's electrical needs than adding new coal-burning technology.

Approval of Tondu's proposal will also lead to massive increases in various toxic pollutants (including mercury) in our air, soil, and water, thus unnecessarily endangering our health and ecosystem.

While the above are more than adequate reasons to reject Tondu's proposal, an additional reason is the company's exceptionally litigious nature. Tondu is currently suing Manistee, MI, for example, for $59.5 million because Manistee rejected its proposal to build a coal-fired plant.

New Carlisle and St. Joseph County officials are right to look for good jobs and an increased tax base. Tondu Corporation is the wrong place to look. There are safer, cheaper, and better ways to meet our energy needs that involve none of the dangers, uncertainties, and enormous litigation risks posed by Tondu.

Joseph Miller
Mishawaka
Chair, Psychology
Saint Mary's College

What Fuels Can Be Used in Coal Gasification Plants?

Yesterday morning when I was reading the IGCC section of the Tondu webpage, I was struck by the number of IGCC plants that were fueled by refinery waste oils. I was also struck by the statement that "Gasification can use a wide range of feed stocks including coal, petroleum coke, biomass, oil refinery bottoms (waste oil), digester sludge, and virtually anything that contains carbon and can be fed into a gasification chamber." It occurred to me that the "anything that contains carbon" would include hazardous waste, municipal waste, and medical waste.

My concerns that the proposed Tondu plant might be fueled partially by hazardous waste (perhaps even largely in the future, if certain conditions occurred) increased considerably when I read Tondu's assertion that "We are designing for the 'maximum flexibility possible' in terms of fuels."

Two other points in the above articles also seemed important. The first is that IGCC is a new, unproven technology with a minimal operating record. This point is made in the first article in the sentence "There are [ONLY] now over 10 IGCC plants operating in the world with one to two years’ operating experience."

The second point is that if the Tondu proposal is approved, Tondu may be planning for a second plant of equal size on the same site at some point in the future. This possibility is suggested by the following sentence from the second article: "The Crossroads site has enough space for a second 550-MW unit, Tondu said."

The above concerns provided the basis for my comments last night (at the New Carlisle Citizens for Community Planning meet for those of you who were not there) that if the Tondu proposal was approved, the plant may be fueled with hazardous and other wastes in addition to coal. The following articles support my assertions, and document the use of hazardous waste, municipal waste, medical waste, and other carbon containing solids and liquids in gasification plants.

Joseph Miller
Mishawaka
Chair, Psychology
Saint Mary's College

Additional Tondu Related Links

St. Joe Valley Greens, South Bend, IN