Iwill stop the plan to give our beautiful shoreline to Calpine to build a huge fossil fuel fired power facility, poisoning our air, destroying our shoreline and devaluing our community. I offer A Better Way. The Security, wealth and freedom of a green economy with renewable energy produced in Hayward for Hayward, through available incentives. I will stop the plan for a one way loop around downtown making Mission, A Street, Foothill and D street one way, paving over existing businesses, ruining downtown, wasting $39,000,000 and complicating traffic. We need Logical traffic solutions like a Bart station near Kmart, at Harder and Mission down form the University. I have a plan to redevelop the aging government buildings along Winton to create a new police department, Library and central business district at no cost to the city, creating employment opportunities. Hayward can thrive. We can be safer in our homes and on our streets. Our children can grow, nurtured by a better education. We can revitalize our community. Our City government can listen, be a catalyst for improvement, encourage the values in our city and balance its budget. I have 3 children. I’ve given 30,000 trees to the community. Redwoodrob.com
Hearing regarding Calpine’s Hayward Shoreline plant
BAY AREA AIR QUALITY MANAGEMENT DISTRICT STATE OF CALIFORNIA 939 Ellis Street San Francisco, California 94109 415-749-5000 THURSDAY, MARCH 6, 2008 9:00 am |
http://www.baaqmd.gov/brd/hearingboard/calendar/02-28-08hbcal.pdf
The California Energy Commission gave Calpine a choice of using modern cleaner technology and eliminating most of the emissions like other California plants are doing or using antiquated technology and buying Emission Reduction Credits ERC from the Bay Area Air Quality District BAAQMD. The BAAQMD permit does not require the cleaner technology in fact it requires them to use the plan that pollutes more and buys its ERCs. This represents roughly 6 times the Carbon Monoxide output and twice the particulate matter output for a total of 172,000 pounds of particulate matter emitted into the air per year, that’s about 6 times as much as all the diesel trucks in the port of Oakland.
http://www.portofoakland.com/pdf/airEmissions_executive.pdf
It can emit about 3 times as much Greenhouse gas as the entire rest of the city.
If BAAQMD passes its Carbon Tax they will also collect much more tax money by requiring that this plant pollute more.
The equipment approved is no longer manufactured. BAAQMD staff confirmed that Calpine may utilize used equipment retired from another facility. It is so much cheaper to pollute in the Bay Area because the ERCs cost less, that Calpine can bring old equipment from Southern California and earn $40,000,000 in ERC’s there.
I have personally filed an appeal to the EPA.
I have documented violations of the Clean Air Act, the Endangered species act, the coastal zone management act, the principles of environmental justice and the will of the people.
The EPA has granted review of at least parts of the appeal. This has effectively stopped Calpine and BAAQMD at least during the appeal. http://yosemite.epa.gov/OA/EAB_WEB_Docket.nsf/Filings%20By%20Appeal%20Number/D2B9A6D344255698852573F60069CAC8/$File/Response...180000.pdf
I also filed an appeal to BAAQMD. They are claiming that they do not have jurisdiction over their own permit and may dismiss the case at the hearing on Thursday
After I discovered the extent of the threat, I have spent 500 hours of my own time fighting these polluters . I have also spent thousands dollars of my money to try and protect our city. .
This all stems from the City Councils unanimous approval of Calpine’s Hayward shoreline facility I don’t call it Russell City because the name is patently deceptive. It is in the city of Hayward. The 145 foot stacks and 1000 foot plume will be the first thing visible when you enter Hayward from the Hayward San Mateo Bridge. The City Council can no longer ignore the totality of these disclosures. They should not give the city owned shoreline to Calpine. They have opened the door to an unlimited number of these plants and they can close it.
My name Is Rob Simpson. I live at 27126 Grandview Avenue in the city of Hayward. I serve on the Keep Hayward Clean and Green Task Force where I established the City of Hayward’s first sustainability Committee. I also serve on the board of directors of the Hayward Area Planning Association HAPA we are litigating against both fossil fuel fired power plants currently planned in the City of Hayward. I can be reached at 510-909-1800
