Texas Today

Everyone has more than likely seen some form of advertisement for the “new and improved” TXU correct? Wednesday June 13th TCEQ held a meeting for the 2 proposed Oak Grove coal plants with TXU being given the green light to speed up the building process with the first slated to open in 2009.
I had the chance to visit these sites on Earth Day and I feel for the locals and surrounding areas. It was such a beautiful site.On occasion pictures speak louder than words. In this case I truly believe they do.
Long before this week these disastrous plants were already well on their way to becoming the most disturbing and dirtiest among the state as applications were being accepted and steel beams built stories tall. Just land prep? Hardly.
What about the air quality you wonder? Apparently causing severe cases of asthma and birth defects not to mention numerous others isn’t really too harmful. The emissions control equipment they would use hasn’t even been proven to work with Texas lignite. On top of that,the technology to cut nitrogen oxides and mercury hasn’t been used on native fuel either. A few opinions from TXU engineers saying it ” would probably work” as well as a commitment from them to review the plant’s actual emission in 2 years after operation has begun was enough for chairwoman Kathleen Harnett White and H.S. Buddy Garcia ( the latest commissioner appointed by Mr.Perry) to let the smoke start stacking.
TXU Corp. improved? I think not. Still at it’s old foolish ways? Yes, indeed.