CPUC PUBLIC MEETING COMMENT SHEET

Name: James B. MacDonald

Address: 274 Pebble Beach Loop
Pittsburg, CA 94565
(925) 439-7665

Comment: The plants are currently allowed to burn diesel fuel under Emergency Conditions.

1. What constitutes Emergency Conditions?
2. How long can a plant operate under Emergency Conditions?
3. Consideration expected increased output of new ownership, what are long-term and short-term health risks while operating under Emergency Conditions at higher output levels, in each of the following categories: newborns, children, teenagers, adults, senior citizens, people with respiratory illnesses.

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Comment: Considering the higher output of new owners operating under normal conditions burning natural gas, what are health risks in each of the categories listed above.

[End CC2]

Comment: Considering new status of diesel fuel emissions as toxic, will operations of new owners under Emergency Conditions exceed any legislated standards. Will plant emissions combined with other existing emissions violate any standards?

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[Begin CC4] If all existing Industrial-zoned areas within the City of Pittsburg become Heavy Industrial, will emissions levels exceed Standards?
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Comment: Considering new findings of particulate matter emissions as cause of Respiratory Illness, including death from asthma, what are health risks while plant is operating under normal conditions for each of the following categories: newborns, children, teenagers, adults, senior citizens, people with Respiratory Illnesses? Rate health risks of particulate matter for each of the categories under the following conditions: operating at higher output levels of new owners during Emergency Conditions, plant output emissions in combination with existing industries, potential future emissions if all industrial areas within City of Pittsburg become Heavy Industrial.

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Comment: The City of Pittsburg’s expectation and desire is that the lower cost of power, due to the new ownership of Pittsburg PG&E plant and other new planned power plants within the city, will be incentive for increased growth in the industrial base in the area, and that without lower cost locally-available power this could not happen. What is the expected effect this would have on an already over-burdened transportation infrastructure? What are expected health risks from diesel fuel emissions, due to increased rail and heavy truck traffic in the area, on each of these categories: newborns, teenagers, adults, senior citizens, people with Respiratory Illnesses? Rate health risks as above for transportation diesel fuel emissions in combination with increased level of industrial emissions.

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Comment: Considering all of the scenarios and categories listed above; what risks can be expected for the two potential sites for a new Elementary School in the Downtown area? Site A--Next to St. Peter Martyr School on Montezuma Street. Site B--Between Railroad and Black Diamond from 10th and 7th Streets.

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Comment: Considering all of the scenarios and categories listed above, what effect will emissions at "new owner" levels have on Central Valley/Sacramento Air Basin air quality? What will be effect on Central Valley/Sacramento Air Basin air quality if all industrial zoned areas go Heavy Industrial?

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Comment: Considering all of the above; what would be the effect if a condition of sale of the Pittsburg PG&E plant was the new owners use best available technology to control air and noise pollution?

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Comment: Considering all of the above; what would be the effect of new owners not using the property as a power generation plant and being allowed to do some of the following: A. Residential Development, B. Wetlands/Open Space/Nature Reserve; C. Non-Industrial Commercial Property; D. Considering the existing Marine Dock facility and Storage Tanks the facility may be attractive to someone as a Marine Liquid Bulk Import/Export Facility. What options other than continued use as a power generation facility have been considered? How might these and other options affect the Environmental Quality in the Delta Region?

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Comment: Much of the heavy air pollution that affects the downtown Pittsburg are is very localized. Without an air monitoring station in place in downtown Pittsburg, how is CPUC making its conclusions on existing conditions in this area? How does CPUC intend to monitor effects in future and measure compliance? "Best Guess"?

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Comment: Regarding sources of offsets; study designates two Air Basins--South Bay and North Bay. Assumption that offsets in North Bay Air Basin will have actual effect in Pittsburg area needs to be reexamined. Due to extremely heavy nature of Industrial output in Delta region, Carquinez Straights should be considered as separate Air Basin and offsets should be restricted to that area.

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Comment: Considering the extremely high particulate matter pollution in the downtown Pittsburg area, stringent controls and mitigating measures should be enforced.

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Comment: At a recent meeting of the CPUC regarding the PG&E Application for Divestiture; the staff indicated that the air quality in any given 24 hour period would not worsen but that there would be more "worse days" under the new ownership. The contention that this should be acceptable to the community, is ludicrous.

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