WASHINGTON (AP) — State and federal environmental regulators issued a blanket waiver on Monday for Florida electricity companies to violate clean air and water standards without penalty for the next two weeks.
The Environmental Protection Agency said the so-called No Action Assurance granted through Sept. 26 came at the request of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. The letter said the move will provide Florida utility generators needed flexibility to maintain and restore electricity supplies in the wake of Hurricane Irma. The EPA said the move was in the public’s interest.
Florida’s Division of Emergency Management said about noon on Monday that 6.52 million utility customers in the state were without power. That’s more than 65 percent of all electricity customers.
The EPA’s assurance letter will allow utilities to operate outside restrictions mandated by their permits, including potentially using dirtier fuels, running for longer hours or electively bypassing pollution control equipment. Coal-fired plants can also discharge wastewater laced with levels of toxic-heavy metals at higher concentrations than what would normally be permitted.
The utilities are still required to monitor and report the levels of regulated contaminates in their air emissions and water discharges, according to the letter.
The Associated Press reported last week that air pollution levels spiked in the Houston area after a similar enforcement waiver was granted to Texas petrochemical facilities ahead of Hurricane Harvey’s arrival.
Making the world safer through poison! What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger!
And if anyone believes this waiver will only be for two weeks, I have some prime development property to sell you in the Everglades.
…to be extended indefinitely.
The evil beauty of this is, as far as I understand, the power plants themselves did not sustain any damage that would require them to bypass air pollution prevention systems to be able to continue to generate power.
Any damage to the electrical system likely occurred in the distribution system, powerlines, etc.
Last time I checked a downed power line does not require “dirty” power to magically rejuvenate itself to working order.
Clean power will suffice, except in Drumpfmurika…
Sure seems like a short-sighted dumb response in taking an emergency and turning it into something even worse imo, but what do I know. I only breath air, drink water and promise not to shit where I sleep whenever possible…