Coal & Global Warming in ARKANSAS
Critics Question Vote on Arkansas Coal-fired Plant
By The Associated Press - 1/16/2009 11:40:01 AM
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) - Opponents of a $1.5 billion project to build a coal-fired power plant in southwest Arkansas say a state commissioner who pushed a vote for construction to resume last month heads a company that is doing business with the plant's contractors.
In filings with the state Pollution Control and Ecology Commission, opponents say Lexicon Inc. or one of its arms has at least six projects with Shaw Group LLC and at least two with ABB Alstom Power. Shaw Group is the main contractor for Southwestern Electric Power Co.'s plant project near Fulton. Alstom is producing and installing the plant's generator turbines.
The filings Monday noted that Lexicon chairman Thomas Schueck is also a PC&E commissioner. Lexicon has several steel construction and fabrication subsidiaries.
Last month, Schueck proposed - and the commission approved - allowing plant construction to resume after an appeal by environmental opponents of the plant's air permit halted the work. Hundreds were put back to work while the appeal is pending before an administrative judge with the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality.
"Schueck's participation and vote at the Dec. 5 hearing may not have been totally motivated by current and potential business opportunities available to the Lexicon family of companies," said Rick Addison, a Dallas lawyer for the opponents. "The fact remains, however, that (the decision) was exceedingly favorable to, and financially lucrative for, Shaw Group and Alstom. That Commissioner Schueck could in turn benefit (even if only indirectly) from Shaw's and Alstom's prosperity also cannot be doubted."
Opponents asked that the financial ties of each commissioner be reviewed.
Administrative judge Michael O'Malley said he would treat the filings as he would any others in the appeal.
"And at some point I'll issue some type of order," he said.
Schueck did not immediately return a call for comment Friday.
(Copyright 2009 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
Copyright © 2009, Arkansas Business Limited Partnership. All Rights Reserved.
UPDATED: Arkansas House Members Delay Global Warming Hearing
By The Associated Press - 1/13/2009 2:17:01 PM
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) - Leaders of a joint energy panel agreed to delay until next week a hearing featuring critics of the governor's Commission on Global Warming after House members initially planned on skipping the Wednesday meeting.
The Joint Energy Committee rescheduled a hearing for next week featuring a member of the Governor's Commission on Global Warming along with other critics of the commission's recommendations. Richard Ford, an economics professor at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, said Tuesday that he doesn't believe the group properly studied whether global warming is a threat.
Ford and other critics of the commission had planned on presenting a "minority report" challenging the group's recommendations on ways to reduce global warming in the state.
Rep. Lance Reynolds and Sen. Kim Hendren told reporters Tuesday they agreed to hold the hearing next week, hours after Reynolds announced that House members wouldn't attend the meeting originally scheduled for Wednesday. Reynolds, who said he consulted with House Speaker Robbie Wills, said he didn't see the point of the hearing since no legislation has been filed on the global warming panel.
Hendren backtracked from comments he made earlier Tuesday accusing Wills of abusing his authority and said the spat over whether to hold the hearing was a miscommunication between both chambers.
"We should have communicated before we canceled meetings like that," said Hendren, R-Gravette.
The commission released a set of 54 recommendations last year, and Commission Co-chair Kathy Webb said she plans on introducing several bills based on the commission's report.
Ford said he doesn't believe the panel properly studied whether global warming is a threat.
"I do not believe the commission followed the law and reviewed the scientific literature as the law told us we had to to do our job," Ford said.
The decision means the energy panel will hear from the commission's critics before hearing from the commission itself. Reynolds, D-Quitman, said he would welcome a meeting with the commission.
Webb, D-Little Rock, said she disagreed with Ford's argument that the commission didn't follow the law.
"I think there are some folks who don't want to see us accomplish anything, but I think those folks are in the minority," Webb said.
Webb has said the legislation will include "lead by example" measures that will promote energy-efficient state government buildings and more hybrid and alternative fuel vehicles in the state fleet.
(Copyright 2009 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
Copyright © 2009, Arkansas Business Limited Partnership. All Rights Reserved.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Skeptical member of commission attacks global-warming commission's report in meeting with legislators
The Morning News
Local News for Northwest Arkansas
Member Criticizes Global Warming Commission
By John Lyon
THE MORNING NEWS
http://www.nwaonline.net/articles/2009/01/14/legislature/011509lrlegglblwrm.prt
LITTLE ROCK -- A member of the state Governor's Commission on Global Warming told lawmakers Wednesday they should be skeptical of the panel's recommendations for combating climate change.
Richard Ford, a professor of economics at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, spoke at an informal meeting requested by Sen. Percy Malone, D-Arkadelphia, former Senate chairman of the Joint Committee on Energy.
"I don't think we followed the law as given," Ford said.
Ford said the 2007 law that created the commission directed the body to "study the scientific data, literature and research on global warming to determine whether global warming is an immediate threat to the citizens in the state of Arkansas." He said that never happened.
"It was implicitly assumed that global warming is a pending catastrophe, that it had to be addressed, basically by limiting (carbon) emissions," he said.
The commission presented to the governor late last year a report containing 54 recommendations for reducing the state's contributions to climate change, including a moratorium on new coal-fired power plants until pollution-control technology improves.
"I would ask you to be skeptical of many of the recommendations -- most of them," Ford said. "Be skeptical of the cost numbers. I several times pointed out that they were estimates on the low side because they just flat did not include everything."
The commission's report includes analysis of the costs to implement 29 of its recommendations. It estimates the net cost at $3.7 billion between 2009 and 2025.
Lawmakers also heard presentations by others with skeptical views of global warming.
Art Hobson, professor emeritus of physics at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville and also a commission member, said in an interview Wednesday he believed the commission did follow the law.
Hobson noted the title of the legislation creating the commission states in part that its purpose is "to establish a global warming pollution reduction goal and comprehensive strategic plan."
"It didn't seem to me that we were really directed to study the underlying science," Hobson said, though he said as a scientist he would have been happy to discuss the scientific evidence of global warming.
Hobson also said he disagreed with Ford's assertion that the commission's cost estimates were inadequate.
"A lot of these policy options that we recommended would save money for Arkansas, and some would cost money. Those were very carefully worked out by CCS (the Center for Climate Strategies)," he said.
CCS, a nonprofit group based in Harrisburg, Pa., provided consulting services to the commission while it was preparing its report. Hobson said he has heard complaints that the group "roped Arkansas into doing this and into hiring CCS," but he said in fact it was the other way around.
"The commission was appointed, and then we looked around at each other and said, 'Well, what do we do now? How are we going to develop these ideas?' Then some of the people who were supporting the idea of the commission looked around and found CCS," he said.
Malone said he had hoped Ford and the other speakers could address an official meeting of the Joint Committee on Energy, but the scheduling of Wednesday's meeting conflicted with committee rules, so an informal meeting was held instead.
Malone encouraged people with other points of view to contact the committee's new Senate chairman, Sen. Kim Hendren, R-Gravette, and ask to make a presentation.
Local News for Northwest Arkansas
Member Criticizes Global Warming Commission
By John Lyon
THE MORNING NEWS
http://www.nwaonline.net/articles/2009/01/14/legislature/011509lrlegglblwrm.prt
LITTLE ROCK -- A member of the state Governor's Commission on Global Warming told lawmakers Wednesday they should be skeptical of the panel's recommendations for combating climate change.
Richard Ford, a professor of economics at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, spoke at an informal meeting requested by Sen. Percy Malone, D-Arkadelphia, former Senate chairman of the Joint Committee on Energy.
"I don't think we followed the law as given," Ford said.
Ford said the 2007 law that created the commission directed the body to "study the scientific data, literature and research on global warming to determine whether global warming is an immediate threat to the citizens in the state of Arkansas." He said that never happened.
"It was implicitly assumed that global warming is a pending catastrophe, that it had to be addressed, basically by limiting (carbon) emissions," he said.
The commission presented to the governor late last year a report containing 54 recommendations for reducing the state's contributions to climate change, including a moratorium on new coal-fired power plants until pollution-control technology improves.
"I would ask you to be skeptical of many of the recommendations -- most of them," Ford said. "Be skeptical of the cost numbers. I several times pointed out that they were estimates on the low side because they just flat did not include everything."
The commission's report includes analysis of the costs to implement 29 of its recommendations. It estimates the net cost at $3.7 billion between 2009 and 2025.
Lawmakers also heard presentations by others with skeptical views of global warming.
Art Hobson, professor emeritus of physics at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville and also a commission member, said in an interview Wednesday he believed the commission did follow the law.
Hobson noted the title of the legislation creating the commission states in part that its purpose is "to establish a global warming pollution reduction goal and comprehensive strategic plan."
"It didn't seem to me that we were really directed to study the underlying science," Hobson said, though he said as a scientist he would have been happy to discuss the scientific evidence of global warming.
Hobson also said he disagreed with Ford's assertion that the commission's cost estimates were inadequate.
"A lot of these policy options that we recommended would save money for Arkansas, and some would cost money. Those were very carefully worked out by CCS (the Center for Climate Strategies)," he said.
CCS, a nonprofit group based in Harrisburg, Pa., provided consulting services to the commission while it was preparing its report. Hobson said he has heard complaints that the group "roped Arkansas into doing this and into hiring CCS," but he said in fact it was the other way around.
"The commission was appointed, and then we looked around at each other and said, 'Well, what do we do now? How are we going to develop these ideas?' Then some of the people who were supporting the idea of the commission looked around and found CCS," he said.
Malone said he had hoped Ford and the other speakers could address an official meeting of the Joint Committee on Energy, but the scheduling of Wednesday's meeting conflicted with committee rules, so an informal meeting was held instead.
Malone encouraged people with other points of view to contact the committee's new Senate chairman, Sen. Kim Hendren, R-Gravette, and ask to make a presentation.
Naysayers get a say on global warming
The Morning News
Local News for Northwest Arkansas
Critics To Give Minority Report On Climate Change
By John Lyon
THE MORNING NEWS
LITTLE ROCK -- The House and Senate chairmen of the Joint Committee on Energy clashed Tuesday over a proposed meeting to hear an alternative view on global warming.
In a compromise, the chairmen decided not to hold an official meeting today but to allow the scheduled speakers to talk at an unofficial meeting at the Capitol, according to the panel's outgoing Senate chairman, who requested the meeting.
The committee had been scheduled to meet today to hear presentations from critics of the Governor's Commission on Global Warming, including a commission member.
The commission last year presented to the governor a report containing 54 recommendations for reducing the state's contributions to climate change, including a moratorium on new coal plants until pollution-control technology improves.
Commission member Richard Ford, an economics professor at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, planned to present a "minority report" at the energy committee's meeting. Ford said Tuesday the commission was charged by law with considering whether global warming is real.
"I don't think we did that," he said.
An announcement in the House chamber Tuesday declared the meeting canceled, but the committee's Senate chairman, Kim Hendren, R-Gravette, said Tuesday afternoon he was not consulted beforehand and he wondered aloud whether the House leadership was attempting to stifle debate on the issue.
"I'm having (the meeting) if I'm the only one there," Hendren told the Arkansas News Bureau.
Sen. Percy Malone, D-Arkadelphia, the committee's outgoing Senate chairman, said late Tuesday it turned out the meeting had been set before the new chairmen were appointed, in violation of committee rules.
Malone said a group that included him, the chairmen and House Speaker Robbie Wills, D-Conway, met and discussed scheduling a meeting for next week, but because some of the speakers were already in town a decision was made to let them speak today in Room 171, upon adjournment of both chambers. The event will not be an official meeting and will be for information purposes only, Malone said.
Malone and Hendren both said they were interested in hearing multiple points of view on the subject.
"I always said, we'll let anybody who has relevant information about a subject matter tell it," Malone said.
Local News for Northwest Arkansas
Critics To Give Minority Report On Climate Change
By John Lyon
THE MORNING NEWS
LITTLE ROCK -- The House and Senate chairmen of the Joint Committee on Energy clashed Tuesday over a proposed meeting to hear an alternative view on global warming.
In a compromise, the chairmen decided not to hold an official meeting today but to allow the scheduled speakers to talk at an unofficial meeting at the Capitol, according to the panel's outgoing Senate chairman, who requested the meeting.
The committee had been scheduled to meet today to hear presentations from critics of the Governor's Commission on Global Warming, including a commission member.
The commission last year presented to the governor a report containing 54 recommendations for reducing the state's contributions to climate change, including a moratorium on new coal plants until pollution-control technology improves.
Commission member Richard Ford, an economics professor at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, planned to present a "minority report" at the energy committee's meeting. Ford said Tuesday the commission was charged by law with considering whether global warming is real.
"I don't think we did that," he said.
An announcement in the House chamber Tuesday declared the meeting canceled, but the committee's Senate chairman, Kim Hendren, R-Gravette, said Tuesday afternoon he was not consulted beforehand and he wondered aloud whether the House leadership was attempting to stifle debate on the issue.
"I'm having (the meeting) if I'm the only one there," Hendren told the Arkansas News Bureau.
Sen. Percy Malone, D-Arkadelphia, the committee's outgoing Senate chairman, said late Tuesday it turned out the meeting had been set before the new chairmen were appointed, in violation of committee rules.
Malone said a group that included him, the chairmen and House Speaker Robbie Wills, D-Conway, met and discussed scheduling a meeting for next week, but because some of the speakers were already in town a decision was made to let them speak today in Room 171, upon adjournment of both chambers. The event will not be an official meeting and will be for information purposes only, Malone said.
Malone and Hendren both said they were interested in hearing multiple points of view on the subject.
"I always said, we'll let anybody who has relevant information about a subject matter tell it," Malone said.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Why is muddy water flowing in a normally clear Ozark Mountain stream on a sunny New Year's Day?
Please click on images to ENLARGE view of muddy water flowing on New Year's Day into the Town Branch of the West Fork of the White River.
For more images and a bit of explanation of this situation, please click the following link Silt-laden water pumped to the Town Branch by contractors flows to Beaver Lake
For a closer view of the pipe spewing water from Hill Place work site, please click on image to ENLARGE. Use cursor to move about and see the contrast between the flow from the pipe and the stream's normal clear water at right.
For more images and a bit of explanation of this situation, please click the following link Silt-laden water pumped to the Town Branch by contractors flows to Beaver Lake
For more images and a bit of explanation of this situation, please click the following link Silt-laden water pumped to the Town Branch by contractors flows to Beaver Lake
For a closer view of the pipe spewing water from Hill Place work site, please click on image to ENLARGE. Use cursor to move about and see the contrast between the flow from the pipe and the stream's normal clear water at right.
For more images and a bit of explanation of this situation, please click the following link Silt-laden water pumped to the Town Branch by contractors flows to Beaver Lake
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