TXU to Cut Mercury at Coal, Nuclear Power Plants
DALLAS, Texas, August 6, 2007 (ENS) - TXU Power has partnered with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to reduce the amount of mercury at its Comanche Peak Steam Electric Station, a two-unit nuclear power plant about 80 miles southwest of downtown Dallas, Texas, the company and the EPA announced Friday.
The nuclear plant's managers have pledged to complete mercury reduction measures at the facility, located near Glen Rose, Texas, as part of the National Partnership for Environmental Priorities program.
Comanche Peak will replace instruments that contain mercury with mercury-free alternative products.
Mercury is a toxic chemical designated as one of 31 priority chemicals that the EPA wants to reduce in U.S. products and wastes. Exposure to mercury can cause serious health problems. Impacts on thinking, memory, attention, language, and fine motor and visual spatial skills have been seen in children exposed to mercury in the womb.
In June, TXU Power announced plans to install new activated carbon sorbent injection systems at all of the company’s existing coal-fueled generation units to reduce mercury emissions. TXU Power operates nine coal-fueled generation units at four plant locations.
The same sorbent injection systems are included as part of the Best Available Control Technology used in the three new units planned for Oak Grove and Sandow, Texas.
“TXU Power will install new mercury emissions controls on every coal-fueled generation unit in its system – the largest voluntary program ever undertaken in the nation,” said Mike Greene, chairman and CEO of TXU Power. “The reduction will start well ahead of the recently finalized federal rulemaking schedule.”
The mercury reduction plan meets with the approval of TXU Corp's new owners.
TXU Power, a subsidiary of TXU Corp., and Texas Energy Future Holdings Limited Partnership, the holding company formed by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co., Texas Pacific Group, as well as other investors are in the process of acquiring TXU Corp.
“After hearing directly from people across Texas, including elected officials and consumer and environmental groups, we reviewed TXU’s proposed mercury emissions controls program, and we encouraged TXU to move forward with this progressive program,” said William Reilly of Texas Pacific Group.
Reilly, a former EPA administrator, will join the board of directors of TXU after the sale closes.
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