Pictures of the recommended AME Metea Site

[swimmom]

HillMom,
I think you are right on target.

[hillmom]

Hey RJ - did you notice the pages just disappeared on the other blog - what is up with that?

[WeBe204]

Actually I jsut noticed that.. I was trying to figure out what was happening...

[rj]

Yes I did. I hope it wasn't anything I said.

[swimmom]

What? Was it something we said?

[fence]

hillmom said:

That was when the Peaker Station was still operational - that is no longer an issue since it has closed. It was a concern then - no longer!

Unfortunately, that's not what the SB said in their site selection report, so that is what they're going to have to address.

What do you expect people to say at this point? OK, I guess you weren't telling the truth when you said it was a hazard enough that it essentially eliminated the site from consideration? But now, it's fine?

I am not making any judgements about the site's safety because I don't have enough information. But telling me that other things are more dangerous couldn't be more irrelevant. When I am in traffic on the way to work, sitting under those buzzing lines on 75th street, I can't help but get a little creeped out.....

[hillmom]

There was an Peaker site in proximity at the time of the original site selection that is no longer operational. Things have changed for that site - bottom line.

[Arch]

hillmom said:

There was an Peeker site in proximity at the time of the original site selection that is no longer operational. Things have changed for that site - bottom line.

When was that analysis done? It was decided in Sep 2004 (noted by this SEC filing) that plant would be decomissioned

sec.edgar-online.com/2005/03/16/0001047469-05-006647/Section2.asp

Electric Junction peaker(3) Aurora, Illinois

º (3)
º In September 2004, management completed an analysis of future
competitiveness in the expanded PJM marketplace of eight of its small
peaking units in Illinois. Based on this analysis and regulatory approval,
planning efforts are in progress to decommission six of its eight remaining
small peaking units.


While it is no longer in operation, it still sits on the 36inch natural gas pipeline and still has a huge tank that was for holding oil/jet fuel for the turbines (which was delivered by rail cars on the siding there to the east using the loop-road, I believe or via truck directly to the site and tank. Either way, it was there and who knows if any remains in the tank presently.)

3 years and 4 months later, what have they done as far as decommissioning it?
3 years and 4 months later and wetlands still need to be "mitigated". Why?


I will give them the benefit of the doubt:

www.secinfo.com/dVut2.v2Rk.htm

Says Peaking units ceased operations as of December 31, 2004.

Same questions as above, but 3 years and 1 month later instead of 3 years 4 months later.

[EagleDad]

That would explain the purpose of that strange loop of road that extends out to the east from the Midwest Generation site to the train tracks. Apparently it is/was used to truck the jet fuel from trains on the tracks to the storage tanks.

Thanks for helping me out with that arch, I couldn't figure it out.

So much for Nautural Gas.

[Arch]

eagledad said:

That would explain the purpose of that strange loop of road that extends out to the east from the Midwest Generation site to the train tracks. Apparently it is/was used to truck the jet fuel from trains on the tracks to the storage tanks.

Thanks for helping me out with that arch, I couldn't figure it out.

So much for Nautural Gas.

That is only an educated guess from some of the filings that talked about fuel delivery (rail or truck). There's still the 36 inch natural gas pipeline under there.

Again, question posed earlier that no one touched was how impregnable is that pipeline?

[EagleDad]

Thanks for being open and honestly disclosing when things are and educated guess arch. There seems to be a good deal of that going on right now about characteristics of all of the properties and is good to know when we have cold hard facts (and photos - I guess that's why I like them) and not supposition.

In the interest of full disclosure, Godzilla does not live on the AME site, I made that one up.

[Arch]

I will answer my own post about the pipeline safety of things that age. Yes this is a double post from the Part-2 thread so feel free to delete one if you want.. but since the relevance is here:


I don't like seeing things about failures of similar aged 36" pipelines

ops.dot.gov/regions/southwest/2005/cpf_420051011H.htm

This is a corrective actions order regarding a May 2005 failure of an old line and resulting explosion.

"Section 60112, and the regulations promulgated thereunder, provide for the issuance of a Corrective Action Order without prior opportunity for notice and hearing upon a finding that a failure to issue the Order expeditiously will likely result in serious harm to life, property, or the environment. In such cases, an opportunity for a hearing will be provided as soon as practicable after the issuance of the Order.

After evaluating the foregoing preliminary findings of fact, I find that the continued operation of Respondent's Gulf Coast Mainline natural gas pipeline system without corrective measures will be hazardous to life, property, and the environment. Additionally, after considering the age of the pipe, the hazardousness of the product the pipeline transports, the pressure required for transporting the material, the proximity of the pipeline to populated areas, drinking water resources, and highways, and the ongoing investigation to determine the cause of the pipeline failure, I find that failure to expeditiously issue this Order requiring immediate corrective action would likely result in serious harm to life, property, or the environment.

Accordingly, this Corrective Action Order mandating immediate corrective action is issued without prior notice and opportunity for hearing. The terms and conditions of this Order are effective upon receipt."


.. I believe these diameter pipes are what is running next to the property (based on Reliant's documentation for the peaker plant north of there connecting to existing 36" natural gas pipelines) and are from around the same time period (just before 1970 or earlier). Being that the peaker plant went into operation around 1970, I would think the pipelines are that old.

Were they ever upgraded since then ?

[we4]

I have been trying to figure out why I do not like the St John's AME site. My children most likely will not be going there. But as a mom I don't want to see kids hurt. As we were watching football today (Sunday) and my kids were all tackling me, ED made a comment about not being able to watch the game because someone will be hurt and have to go to the hospital. I thought, wouldn't want to end up at the ER because of doing something stupid (2 of my kids have a history of that). Then I realized my dislike. You have a bunch of kids wondering around the hs grounds and wondering what they can throw at the great big "power thingy". Then they dare someone to go to the fence of the great big "power thingy" then it takes off from there.

Kids can be not so smart sometimes so why would put a high school so close to that kind of hazard.

If you say kids will not do that, they will. As I was looking at the picture, I was finding myself thinking how far away you would have to stand in order to get something (I was thinking apple) to hit something inside the fence.

Even if everything else that has been brought up turns out ok, there is still that "power thingy" right next door.

Just my thought. Plus I'm getting closer to 200.

[proschool]

I have similar thoughts WE4. My kids may never go to MV or even near it. Even so I am proud of all 204 schools. Choosing the least expensive alternative is not the most importtant thing to me.

[jftb]

proschool said:

I have similar thoughts WE4. My kids may never go to MV or even near it. Even so I am proud of all 204 schools. Choosing the least expensive alternative is not the most importtant thing to me.

AME is not even the least expensive alternative. Hamman's price is cheaper.