As plans continue for the construction of Tenaska’s natural gas-fired power plant along the Youghiogheny River in Westmoreland County, residents in South Huntingdon Township are voicing their concerns. We outlined our concerns about potential impacts to the Yough in a formal public comment to DEP. We detailed numerous deficiencies within the permit application. Tenaska will discharge 1.2 million gallons of 110°F wastewater per day into the Yough containing an array of toxic chemicals including chromium, zinc, chlorine, chloride and bromide—to name just a few. The 930-megawatt plant will also release millions of pounds of harmful air pollutants per year.
We will continue to organize concerned citizens in order to raise awareness within the community and help the public formulate comments on the proposed water discharge permit—known as a NPDES (National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System) permit. Clean Air Council is providing community members with similar assistance on Tenaska’s Air Quality Plan. If this proposed plant is permitted, we intend to review and document the impacts this plant has on the overall health of the watershed.
You have the right to understand the full impacts this plant will have on your community. Please attend DEP’s environmental justice listening session on Wednesday, January 21st at the Turkeytown VFD at 90 Supervisor Drive, West Newton from 6:00 to 8:00 pm. This is your opportunity to converse with the company and DEP in a Q&A setting. There will be a formal public hearing on February 11th at 6:00 pm at the same location for you to submit oral and written testimony on the Air Quality Plan Approval and the Draft NPDES permit. If you cannot attend the hearing, written comments may also be submitted to Attention: Comments on Tenaska Proposals, Department of Environmental Protection, 400 Waterfront Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15222. The deadline for written comments is Monday, February 23rd.
For additional information or to learn about how you can get involved, please contact our community organizer Stephanie Novak at stephanie@mtwatershed.com or (724)455-4200 ext. 5#.