Power Plant Emissions May Be Harmful, Agency Says

A federal health agency has warned that sulfur dioxide emissions from the troubled Mirant power plant in Alexandria -- which sits next to a popular regional bike trail -- could be a public health concern and a hazard to asthmatics and others.

The federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry said in a recent letter that emissions from the plant could be harmful to some nearby residents, and that the city should consider ways to send out "health messages" about the danger of some air pollutants.

William Cibulas Jr., the director of the agency's Division of Health Assessment and Consultation, wrote to the Alexandria Health Department that a preliminary review of air dispersal monitoring showed a "hazard to vulnerable populations" from sulfur dioxide emissions. However, he noted, more study is needed before a final conclusion is reached.

The aging plant supplies power throughout the region, including to the District's central business corridor and many federal institutions. It sits on the banks of the Potomac River just north of the city's busy Old Town area and next to the popular Mount Vernon jogging and biking trail -- used by more than 1 million people yearly. It is one of five coal-fired power plants that contribute to poor regional air quality, environmental experts say.

"The greatest concern is the recreation path. . . . That's a regional resource, and people come from all over to use that pathway," said Rebecca Bascom, a professor of medicine at the Penn State College of Medicine who advises the city on air quality matters. "They use it jogging and walking briskly . . . and these are the conditions that maximize the harm these pollutants do the body."

The city has begun examining ways to warn residents of the potential risk, officials said.

Cibulas went on to note, however, that there is "significant uncertainty" with the data and that more study is needed to conclusively determine that a public health hazard exists. Mirant is conducting a more extensive air modeling study that began last summer and will take a year to complete.

Debra Bolton, a vice president and assistant general counsel for the Atlanta-based energy corporation, said that the plant had made "significant progress" in reducing sulfur dioxide and other harmful emissions. Its year-long study would give the federal agency the kind of data it needs "to make an informed analysis of any potential risk to health" from the plant, Bolton said.

The plant was shuttered during summer 2005 for environmental violations but reopened with stricter environmental controls. Although it has long been the bane of Alexandria officials and nearby residents -- who say it emits a sooty substance that coats their windows and walls -- it has the backing of the Energy Department and other federal agencies, which have made it clear in a series of rulings that its operation is necessary for the security of the region's power grid.

Nonetheless, the city vows to continue its fight to close the plant.

Alexandria Mayor William D. Euille (D) called the letter "one more piece of strong evidence" that the plant is putting people at risk. He said the city will "continue to pursue all available options" to shut it down.