Category Archives: City of Tacoma Wash.

Were is US EPA in other US Cities doing what

Let’s not forget Flint MI and what the US EPA let happen to the citizens without presenting public warning or hazards disclosure.

See generally, Five takeaways from congressional hearing on Flint

See, Flint, Michigan Water Contamination The House Oversight and Governmental Reform Committee held its second hearing on the contaminated drinking water in Flint, Michigan

We see that US EPA in concealed from public deals with State and Local government sacrificed the Citizens health for interests of government(s). This should not have ever happened. The solution: for US EPA release all Community hazards information as soon as discovered … forget State and Local emergency management because they are unqualified to protect Citizens from and hazards if the disclosure in not in the government’s interest.

Flint, Michigan, Water Crisis Marc Edwards, an environmental and water resources engineering professor at Virginia Tech University, talked about his involvement

More hearings held Thursday, 17 March 2016 Flint, Michigan Drinking Water Contamination Gina McCarthy and Governor Rick Snyder (R-MI) testified at a hearing on the Safe Drinking Water Act and lead contamination of the water supply in Flint, Michigan.

More hearings on the Flint water failures to be added to this post as reveled.

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Does Washington SEPA Process Discover Truth?

State Environmental Policy Act (“SEPA”) Helps How?

I have always had questions about how a SEPA can protect the environment by its results when the detailed scientific studies, data, and articles are not published first before public input permitted by the SEPA process.

Others have questioned the SEPA process also; for example:

Therefore, a lot of questions about just how effective is Wash. SEPA process?

We will all know more as the Tacoma Methanol Facility SEPA EIS process unfolds.

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Tacoma We Need to Monitor Our Air: Many Locations

To: Tacoma.methanol.sepa@cityoftacoma.org

Tuesday, March 1, 2016

EIS Scoping Comments: Tacoma Manufacturing and Marine Export Facility (TMMEF): “Proposed Methanol Plant”: SEPA Lead Agency: City of Tacoma (File No. SEPA2015-40000260025).

My comment applies to potential environment impact upon Tacoma and surrounding communities:

Hydrogen Sulfide and Our Community Air

Since we don’t know the sources from which feed the Tacoma LNG and Methanol Facilities natural gas supply raw product input to process—sour gas, sweet gas, fracking gas, or just natural gas, and from which specific location mined; as a result, we must monitor the air hazards introduced into Tacoma Community forever.

It will become necessary to setup monitor multiple air inventory monitor stations within Tacoma Port and Tacoma Community neighborhoods (also Federal Way and Fife Wash.) that will detect and record hydrogen sulfide (“H2S”) content and the amount of hydrogen sulfide within our air inventory at the sampling station. This air monitoring must be done for Community(s) people health and illness prevention. See generally, Hydrogen Sulfide, Oil and Gas, and People’s Health Energy and Resources Group University of California, Berkeley, http://www.bouldercounty.org/doc/landuse/hydrogensulfidestudy.pdf (last visited Mar 1, 2016).

The potential stationary hydrogen sulfide source potential emitters

“flaring operations at both oil and gas facilities, venting, wastewater pits, and an oil refinery….”, supra at 45. The H2S air monitor stations should be located to detect emissions from these emitters.

Also we need H2S air monitor stations along length of natural gas piping distribution system pips and all pumping stations where possibility of piping gasket leakage or pumping station seals could leak, supra at 8, note 21. This is important to those persons’ health living within proximity to this distribution natural gas system that feeds the Methanol Facility and LNG Facility.

Oil and gas operations may emit hydrogen sulfide, routinely or accidentally, during the extraction, storage, trans port, or processing stage.20 During of extraction, hydrogen sulfide may be released into the atmosphere at wellheads, pumps, piping, separation devices, oil storage tanks, water storage vessels, and during flaring operations.21 Flares burn gases that cannot be sold as well as gases at points in the system where operating problems may occur, as a safety measure. Because it cannot be sold, hydrogen sulfide is routinely flared. Sulfur dioxide (SO2) is the product of combusting hydrogen sulfide, but in the event of incomplete combustion, H2S may be emitted into the atmosphere. Supra at 8.

Community health and wellness requires we monitor our air

Because we have potential of three hazards present within Tacoma Port—natural gas piping system, LNG Facility, and Methanol Facility—we need to monitor the air we Tacoma Community people must breath: as a result, to know when our health is affected and to what extent by these industrial process(s) operating within our Tacoma Community.

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Let’s review why Tacoma Mayor Likes TPP

Why is the TPP not good for Tacoma people

We, I have, known for a long time the Trans-Pacific Partnership (“TPP”) has been secret for what ending benefit to whom? Therefore, just maybe we can understand a little who is doing what to just who that benefits our Tacoma Community?

The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is an expansive trade deal being negotiated between twelve countries in the Pacific Rim: Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, Vietnam, and the United States. Because the TPP is intended as a “docking agreement,” other countries would be able to join over time.

The TPP touches on a broad range of issues—the environment, workers and jobs, access to medicines, and more. The TPP would also allow foreign corporations to sue governments directly for unlimited cash compensation—in private, non – transparent tribunals—over almost any domestic environmental or other policy that the corporation alleges is hurting its ability to profit.

Despite the impact that the TPP would have on nearly every aspect of our lives, the TPP is being negotiated in near complete secrecy. None of the draft chapters of the agreement have been made public, and the only people with access to texts are a handful of government officials and hundreds of “trade advisors” who almost exclusively represent multinational corporations.

One of the dirtiest secrets of the TPP is its potential to pave the way for dramatically increased fracking across the United States. See, An Explosion of Fracking? One of the Dirtiest Secrets of the Trans-Pacific Partnership Free Trade Agreement Sierra Club, https://www.sierraclub.org/sites/www.sierraclub.org/files/uploads-wysiwig/TPP-LNG_Factsheet_Updated.pdf (last visited Feb 27, 2016).

Tacoma Mayor supports TPP

“She [Mayor] reiterated her support for the proposed free trade Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement, . . .” See, Tacoma mayor looks abroad in 2016 State of the City speech | The News Tribune, http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/politics-government/article62322212.html (last visited Feb 27, 2016)

What has past combustion sources explained already

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) estimates that in the coming decades the United States’ natural gas (NG) demand for electricity generation will increase. Estimates also suggest that NG supply will increasingly come from imported liquefied natural gas (LNG). Additional supplies of NG could come domestically from the production of synthetic natural gas (SNG) via coal gasification-methanation. The objective of this study is to compare greenhouse gas (GHG), SOx, and NOx life-cycle emissions of electricity generated with NG/LNG/SNG and coal. This life-cycle comparison of air emissions from different fuels can help us better understand the advantages and disadvantages of using coal versus globally sourced NG for electricity generation. Our estimates suggest that with the current fleet of power plants, a mix of domestic NG, LNG, and SNG would have lower GHG emissions than coal. If advanced technologies with carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) are used, however, coal and a mix of domestic NG, LNG, and SNG would have very similar life-cycle GHG emissions. For SOx and NOx we find there are significant emissions in the upstream stages of the NG/LNG life-cycles, which contribute to a larger range in SOx and NOx emissions for NG/LNG than for coal and SNG. See generally, Comparative Life-Cycle Air Emissions of Coal, Domestic Natural Gas, LNG, and SNG for Electricity Generation Environ. Sci. Technol. 2007 , 41, 6290 – 6296, http://www.fe.doe.gov/programs/gasregulation/authorizations/2012_applications/sierra_exhibits_12_100_LNG/Ex._80_-_Jaramillo_2007.pdf (last visited Feb 27, 2016).

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Tacoma Hazards: Required ISO Quality Standards

Hazardous Process: Methanol: Requires Quality Process in Tacoma

What is ISO 9000 Quality?

Quality and hazards containment is a requirement to keep our Tacoma Community and people safe as possible from potential hazards; it follows international standards apply here at home to:

  1. Natural gas (methane gas);
  2. LNG Facility; and
  3. Methanol Facility.

Quality process for plant design, materials selections, construction methods, employee health and welfare, industrial process, computer process control all required ISO9000 compliance https:/en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=ISO_9000&oldid=704628982 (last visited Feb 17, 2016)

We know when hazardous materials are processed, refined, and handled; as a result, the quality, security, and performance of all systems must be operated and available and ready with the least failures because otherwise the Tacoma Community is placed at risk as defined by Tacoma EIS.

The Tacoma Methane Facility is one such processing plant that contains and handles materials that present hazard to workers, local people, and community people; as a result, when things fail or fault. For example, methane, sour natural gas, sweet natural gas, piping systems, container systems, process control systems, fire suppression systems, computer systems, computer software and hardware, material handling system, and human error—all are fault factors necessary for quality audit.

Tacoma community will support a Methanol Facility

For a safe Tacoma Community, we need gas industries to use safe practices always. For example,

The industry handles hazardous fluids and gases through a variety of processes. Considerations of the safety of personnel, both staff and public, of the protection of the environment and of business continuity (maintenance of revenue streams, both for companies and for national economies) require a high level of operational integrity. A key element in the assurance of appropriate products being supplied is the quality management system operated by the goods supplier and service contractor. The experience of previous editions of API Q1 has proven that requirements additional to ISO 9001:2000 are necessary to provide assurance with respect to quality of products and services on a consistent and global basis. See, Quality management system for the oil and natural gas industry (2003-11-10) – ISO, http://www.iso.org/iso/home/news_index/news_archive/news.htm?refid=Ref879 (last visited Feb 17, 2016).

The New Tribune article reminds us about the soundness of the Methanol Facility operation

I agree, safe methanol system construction, materials used, the human control element and all automated control systems are necessary to make the methanol process operate within minimum failures.

See generally, Tacoma: Criticism of methanol plant unfounded thenewstribune, http://www.thenewstribune.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/article60665661.html (last visited Feb 17, 2016).

 

It follows, quality is necessary when building and processing gas industrial hazards

Therefore, the Tacoma EIS must mandate all Tacoma gas processing must be compliant with ISO9000 standards and have the audit trail to prove compliance to community for their safe Methanol Facility operation does exist. ISO9000 compliance audit trail will provide the necessary compliance for:

  • Engineering planning activities;
  • Selection of materials used to contain sour methane gas;
  • Piping and safety shutoff valves and shutdown systems;
  • Mitigation plans validated for community hazards protection;
  • Process manual and automatic control systems;
  • All written procedures defined and audited for correct procedures in the event of an unusual event at the Methanol Facility;
  • All computer software audited to current ISO computer hardware and software standards with back up parallel operating control systems in event of computer software or hardware fault.
  • All employee training audited to ISO standards comparable to hazards present within the Tacoma Methanol Facility.

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Cove Point: LNG: Just Information

Tacoma and other communities have LNG as a common concern

Our Tacoma LNG facility already has received Tacoma SEPA FEIS status and do we even understand what the means to Tacoma environmental health? And how do we know?

Stop Cove Point: Another Community: No Fracked Gas Exports

Just a interesting article: Chesapeake Climate Action Network, Stop Cove Point: No Fracked Gas Exports, [accessed 16 February 2016].

So where is Cove Point at today?

let’s take a look: ‘Dominion Cove Point’ Dominion Cove Point, (construction updates available) [accessed 16 February 2016]

We are going to have a LNG facility here in Tacoma Washington also; therefore, wheat can we learn for other communities? Let’s take a look.

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Who says, the Community counts?

Community listens

The Tacoma three proposed industries:

  1. Natural gas distribution pipe system;
  2. LNG Facility; and
  3. Methanol Facility.

Community speaks

Tacoma and surrounding Communities speak for- and against-arguments that relate to Tacoma proposed natural gas industries to be operated within Port of Tacoma Washington.

Who listens to Community speak?

The issue, who listens to Community concerns and just what are those persons willing to do that address the Community concerns? At what cost to Community health and welfare expense?

Apparently, Federal Way Washington listens and has created a Community action plan related to Tacoma proposed Methanol Facility.

Just a bump-in-the-road

Just a simple citizens of Community have had their opportunity to voice concerns but now it is time to move forward with natural gas industries, construction, and processing begins.

Time to stop these industries

The question remains, just who, name the decision making individual(s) that has the authority and responsibility to halt industry construction and operation; as a result, industrial facility operations that could potentially harm Tacoma and surrounding Communities.

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Tacoma Water: Methanol: Consumption

The methanol facility use

Specifically, presented, “7.1 Water Supply The methanol plant will require significant quantities of water to function. Estimated usage amounts identify the facility as requiring about 10.4 million gallons of water per day (enough to supply 26,000 homes, assuming average use of 400 gallons per day). . . .” See, Methanol EIS Draft Scope of Work 02052016.pdf (p. 8, § 7.1) (emphasis added)., http://cms.cityoftacoma.org/planning/Methanol%20Plant/Methanol%20EIS%20Draft%20Scope%20of%20Work%2002052016.pdf (last visited Feb 13, 2016)

The water customers use forecast 2014

So, we are informed about the Tacoma Water Utility ability to supply water to all customers March 2014:

Just over a century ago, 42 million gallons-a-day of Green River water began flowing through a 43-mile pipeline into the City of Tacoma. Today, the Green River is still the city’s primary water source, and one of the nation’s last remaining unfiltered surface water supplies. To comply with the federal Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule (LT2), Tacoma Water and its Second Supply Project (SSP) partners expect to start up a new filtration facility late this year with final completion by May 2015.

Tacoma Water provides direct drinking water service to about 316,000 people in the City of Tacoma, and parts of King and Pierce counties. The utility also supplies water to a number of wholesale customers as well as its SSP partners, Covington Water District, the City of Kent, and Lakehaven Utility District.

In 2005, the SSP partners completed a transmission pipeline from the Green River, increasing the capacity of the Green River supply to about 167 million gallons per day. Including the SSP partners, about 500,000 customers receive water from Tacoma’s system. If all wholesale and partner utilities are counted, about 1 million customers could receive water from Tacoma’s system. See, Water Tap, March 2014 – wt0314.pdf Washington’s Drinking Water Newsletter, http://www.doh.wa.gov/Portals/1/Documents/4200/wt0314.pdf (last visited Feb 13, 2016)

Let’s calculate just a little

For example, methanol facility presents every home uses 400-GD (gallons per day) therefore the Year 2014 forecast for water customers might reach 1-million; as a result, 1-million × 400-GD = 400-MGD water production required from Tacoma Water. But, were not considering the 10.4-MGD water methanol facility requires.

Tacoma Water Utility filtration production capability

Nevertheless, we now have an operating new drinking water Tacoma Water filtration plant, “The facility will be able to treat up to 168 million gallons of drinking water per day, and will be the largest filtration treatment plant in Washington.” See, Tacoma Water Green River Filtration Project, http://www.doh.wa.gov/Portals/1/Documents/Pubs/331-490-Tacoma.pdf (last visited Feb 13, 2016).

I would say were a little water short right now.

On the other hand, maybe Tacoma Water Utility has new and revised water consumption forecasts for years 2015 and years future? I don’t know because I have not seen the current water consumption data forecast done Tacoma Water and population (housing) growth considering the SSP partners.

Still, if this new Tacoma Water filtration plant has capability of 168-MGD and using the methanol house water consumption fact; as a result, we will need, in future years, 400-MGD filtered water but we only have 168-MGD available as filtered drinking water. Seems-to-me the filtered drinking water supplies are just a little short for future years availability and that is excluding the Tacoma Methanol Facility water consumption.

Ultimately, might we consider the methanol comparison water usage by homes is wrong? 400-GD : 1 home.

As an alternative source of water

Instead, maybe the Methanol Facility might draw its process water from Puyallup River and condition this water as necessary for its methanol process needs. Condition the water need at its own expense and to the filtration necessary for methanol process supply water quality.

Maybe the devil is in the financial water details?

Who knows? I would not like to consider the Tacoma Water Utility is playing a financial immediate benefit gain for today and placing all residential ratepayers at risk for their future drinking water availability in future years; for example, if Tacoma Water Utility needed to make more revenue for customers soon the Methanol Facility might be the cash-cow it needs instead of increasing ratepayers’ rates even more? Tacoma Water Utility needs to publish fact data about Tacoma Water current and forecast future years drinking water consumption including all water use impacts related to Second Supply Project (SSP) partners considered.

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Tacoma: Port: Tax: Community Weight

It follows, there exist many tax exemption for many reasons that apply to Federal Government, State Government, County Government, City Government, and Public Corporations; all tax exempt because public good gifted back to the people that pay taxes within the State of Washington. See, Tax Exemptions 2000, Public Property, http://dor.wa.gov/Docs/Reports/2000/Tax_Exemptions_2000/proppubl.htm?noframes (last visited Feb 10, 2016).

But now, we have ports and economic development that are tax exempt but with the ability to tax on top of tax exempt; for example:

Industrial Development

The Washington State Legislature has also been generous in granting authority to pursue industrial development – the fastest growing segment among ports. Port districts can construct buildings and structures to accommodate virtually any type of industrial or economic activity. These facilities are generally the sort that the private sector can’t -or won’t – build or improve.

Ports also can develop the infrastructure – water and sewage systems, and roads – necessary to attract job-creating businesses. Once a facility is built, it is often leased to businesses that generate jobs in the community.

Ports also have the authority to create Industrial Development Districts (IDD) and levy a property tax of up to $0.45 per $1,000 of assessed value for up to 6 years. IDDs are a valuable source of funds for economic development within the district, which can include water, light, power and fire protection facilities and services, streets, roads, bridges, highways, waterways, tracks, rail and water transfer and terminal facilities, and other harbor and industrial improvements. Each time industrial development projects are completed at port facilities – diversifying the economies of cities and counties – employment opportunities increase, tax revenues to cities, counties and the state are increased, and communities are made stronger. See, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, http://washingtonports.org/issue-areas/economic-development/ (last visited Feb 10, 2016).

On the other hand, just how is “[D]iversifying the economies of cities and counties—employment opportunities increased, . . . ” measured today to validate this argument?

Therefore, history speaks to the intent of Ports and Industrial Developments results that have created what we view today and done for our Tacoma Community interests. See generally, HistoryLink.org- the Free Online Encyclopedia of Washington State History, http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=9624 (last visited Feb 10, 2016). So, the average person might just ask about the additional “Port of Tacoma: Frederickson Industrial Area”

The Port of Tacoma was one of the first to set up an Industrial Development District after the Legislature authorized them in 1939, designating an IDD on the Commencement Bay tideflats. World War II interrupted tenant recruitment, but by the late 1950s Purex, Concrete Technology, Stauffer Chemical, and Western Boat Building were all operating in the port’s first Industrial District.

Because, if the Frederickson Industrial Area is going to have natural gas (methane) fuel electrical power generator sets operating, but still unanswered it the sweet- or sour-methane feeding into our Tacoma Community; as a result, sour-gas just-might release more airborne chemical hazard inventory into our Tacoma Community environment? Who’s got the environmental impact study on other Tacoma Community natural gas fed industrial facilities—planned or operating or processing—now? See generally, Sour Gas – Health Effects of Hydrogen Sulfide, http://www.watershedsentinel.ca/content/sour-gas-health-effects-hydrogen-sulfide (last visited Feb 9, 2016).

Despite, Tacoma Port now we have the Seattle Port alliance effect also, So just what is the combined Ports effect on Tacoma Taxpayers? I don’t know but somebody should make some public presentations about benefits and cost and observables result the Tacoma Community should benefit from? See generally, PORT OF TACOMA – POT_Resolution_Creating_Seaport_Alliance_PDA_050515.pdf (draft missing the content), https://www.portseattle.org/About/Documents/POT_Resolution_Creating_Seaport_Alliance_PDA_050515.pdf (last visited Feb 10, 2016).

One could say, were just lacking some important Tacoma Community environmental information, but we are also assessed property taxes to pay for these Community Port(s) existence. Does that really make sense to Tacoma Community Citizens (people)?

Nevertheless, “Each year, the Port receives about 1.7 percent of the property taxes that Pierce County homeowners pay. The money helps to pay off general obligation bonds for Port-related projects that benefit the broader public, such as road improvements and environmental projects.” See, Port of Tacoma – City of Fife, Washington, http://cityoffife.org/online-guide/businesses/economic-development/port-of-tacoma (last visited Feb 10, 2016). For me, I have a difficult time recognizing the “Port related projects that benefit the broader public”?

Seems like, Port of Tacoma (Tacoma and Seattle Ports) should become more open with my Tacoma Community informative information—environmental hazards they permit to be introduced then operated with my Tacoma Community; as a result, I am assessed property taxes each year to support what Port is doing to the health, welfare, and environment of my Tacoma Community.

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Just some relational thoughts about natural gas

Just playing-around with Venn Diagrams. However what’s missing is

  • Natural gas (methane gas) process burning flares for both Methanol and LNG facility;
  • Things that fly in the sky (birds) near a natural gas (methanol gas) burning flare(s);
  • Truck and road traffic impact;
  • People that are close by to the facilities.

However, it’s the relational thought to visualize.