October, 2005: Governor Rick Perry issues Executive Order
(fast-tracking permitting process for 15 new power plants)

Locations of proposed plants state-wide

Location and plan for proposed Oak Grove plant in Robertson County

Our Land, Our Lives Formed . . .

In February of 2006, concerned citizens called for our first meeting in Franklin, Texas. Over 80 residents of Robertson and surrounding counties attended this meeting.

Subsequently, the group met in Bremond with attorney Wendi Hammond, Executive Director of  "Blue Skies Alliance " (Dallas), and Karen Hadden, Executive Director of  "SEED Coalition," Austin, to explore the legal ramifications of joining in the suit against TXU. At that meeting, officers were elected and a a mission formed.

In March, 2006, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality held a public hearing in Franklin. At that hearing, which was attended by a host of area citizens, Robertson County Our Land Our Lives, officially joined with Blue Skies Alliance, SEED Coalition, and Public Citizen, as party to a suit filed against TXU's application to build the Oak Grove plant.

Our organization subsequently complied with a request from TXU’s attorneys to disclose information regarding our public education efforts.

We met on May 20, 2006 in Franklin to discuss our plans to further implement our public awareness campaign. Since that time, Our Land, Our Lives has campaigned against pollution by taking out ads in area newspapers, meeting monthly, talking with local civic groups, publishing a newsletter for our membership, joining in protests in Dallas and Austin, and launching a successful "Walking Campaign" in Bremond, Calvert, Franklin, Hearne, and Marlin to enlist signatures on a petition against the coal plants.

More on Pollution . . .

More information on pollution caused by lignite-burning utility plants.

We want the pollution levels from power plants proposed in Texas REDUCED to meet the standard established by the Environmental Policy of the Texas Farm Bureau, which says that the State of Texas should not permit any coal plant that is not a least as clean as a state-of-the-art gas-fired plant

A plant using IGCC Coal-Gasification Technology has emissions almost as low as a natural-gas fired plant (see chart). Gasification has been used since WWII. It is used in existing power plants, is proposed for use in 17 new plants seeking permits today, and at least three U.S. multi-national corporations will build you an IGCC plant on a turnkey basis today - Westinghouse/Seimans, Conoco/Phillips, Bechtel, also Texas Syn Gas(learn more about gasification).

Pollution is the problem . . .

The proposed TXU Oak Grove plant would do the following damage to the environment of Robertson County:

• It would be the LARGEST EMITTER of mercury of any power plant in the nation - beginning on the first day of operation.

• It would burn over 2½ million pounds of lignite each HOUR, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.

• It will have two smoke stacks some 35 stories high (450 feet).

• Based on EPA average annual auto emissions, the two proposed plants will emit an amount of nitrogen oxide equivalent to over 470,000 automobiles. Oak Grove alone would produce the smog equivalent of 350,000 automobiles. Nitrogen Oxide is the chemical that becomes smog.

• Two proposed plants in Robertson County would increase local electric production 8.6 times.

  Combined, the two proposed plants would emit over three tons of pollution per hour; that is the weight of one truck every 25 minutes, or 2-½ trucks each hour or 60 a day. At the end of one week, there would be a stack of 420 trucks. At the end of one month, the stack would be 1,600 trucks high. That would be the equivalent of almost 5,000 TONS of pollution per month.

• Power plants are the largest source of mercury emissions in the U.S. The TXU plant would be the fifth largest power plant emitter of mercury in the nation as a brand new unit, compared with 20- and 30-year old plants. If Robertson County was a State, the proposed pollution from these plants would make us rank 13th among States, between Georgia and North Dakota, in mercury emissions from power plants.

• The Texas Medical Association says: (these are all direct quotes).
  • The American public is not adequately protected from mercury pollution.

  • Local mercury sources play an important role in local pollution.

  • Mercury threatens human health and child development. Scientific findings indicate that mercury is a significant threat
    to the fetus, infants, and young children.

  • Recent epidemiological studies have shown that children exposed to moderate or low levels of mercury before birth also may experience neurological and development impairment. Outcomes may include delayed walking, delayed speech, and decreased performance on tests of attention, fine motor function, language, visual-spatial abilities, and memory.

  • Link to the American Medical Association research on mercury pollution.

• The #1, #2, #3, and #7 highest polluting power plants in Texas all burn lignite and all are owned by TXU. TXU's proposed Oak Grove Plant will be #8 the day it opens, unless the public stands up and makes them do better.

• TXU ranked #1 in 2003 among all Texas companies for air pollution. Forty-eight percent (48%) of the industrial pollution in Texas comes from 17 coal-fired power plants and 134 gas-fired power plants. TXU's four lignite-burning plants are responsible for half of that pollution or 24% of the total industrial pollution in Texas. TXU's four lignite-burning plants are responsible for almost one-quarter of the industrial pollution in the state. They want to put their 5th-ranked polluting lignite plant in our back yard.

• These plants will be active for 30 to 50 years. Our children and their children will live with the pollution. Pollution control technology will be far better in 10 years, even more so in 30. Therefore, we expect them to build these plants as clean as possible.

• "Best Available Control Technology" (BACT) is a bureaucratically determined standard that should more properly be called "As Good As Others Are Doing" Control Technology. The phrase "best available control technology" should NOT be used or interpreted as plain English. When the utility companies say "best" it is a half truth at most, it doesn't really mean best. But, TXU's advertisements sure don't have it in quotes when they say "we will use best available control technology" in ad after ad.

• NO PAY FOR POLLUTION: We oppose any tax incentives or abatements for the applicants. We should not pay people to come here and pollute our air. We would actively work to secure abatements and incentives if the permit applicants would utilize the best technology for pollution reduction - Gasification (IGCC).