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Power Plants and Airports Power Plants and Airports Don’t MixDon’t Mix
Carol FordCarol Ford
CALPILOTScalpilots.org
2010 ACA ConferenceSouth Lake Tahoe
What’s the Problem?What’s the Problem?
Power Companies are targeting open land within 3 miles of a runway to construct power plants which have plumes~ a hazard to aviation safety.
Power plants are only recently being constructed near airports
Traditionally plants located further from airports (stacks exceeded 200 ft) with visible plumes
2010 ACA Conference2010 ACA Conference
Airport Power Plant SummaryAirport Power Plant Summary
Blythe I OperationalOperational Blythe II CEC Approved but FAA rejects CEC Approved but FAA rejects
mitigationmitigation Delano OperationalOperational Russell City Before BAAQMD, CPUC and CEC Eastshore Denied (CEC first in 20 years) French Valley Riverside~ Power Co withdraws!! Byron/Mariposa CEC Palomar CEC Tracy Operational
2010 ACA Conference2010 ACA Conference
Blythe (BLH) Aeronautical Chart Blythe (BLH) Aeronautical Chart
2010 ACA Conference2010 ACA Conference
Blythe I Power Plant, Blythe Airport (BLH)Blythe I Power Plant, Blythe Airport (BLH)
Cooling Tower Cooling Tower Vapor PlumeVapor Plume
Invisible Thermal Invisible Thermal PlumePlume
2010 ACA Conference2010 ACA Conference
One Mile Final Runway 26
Blythe I Power Plant, Blythe Airport (BLH)Blythe I Power Plant, Blythe Airport (BLH)
2010 ACA Conference2010 ACA Conference
Potential HazardsPotential Hazardsfor Pilots – Aircraft - Parachutists for Pilots – Aircraft - Parachutists Invisible High velocity buoyant thermal
plumes 850 + degrees Opaque Water vapor plumes from exhaust
stacks and cooling water towers Toxic Exhaust plume emissions with little or
no Oxygen content Accidental Hazardous gas and liquids
releases to atmosphere
2010 ACA Conference2010 ACA Conference
Results InResults In
Pilot Thermal Plume incident reports and / or Accidents
Pilot diversion and distraction from cockpit Helicopter accident - engine oxygen
starvation (NTSB) FAA Safety Plume Study Jan 2006 CEC Denial of Eastshore Power Plant 1 mile
from Hayward Executive Airport
2010 ACA Conference2010 ACA Conference
Why Target Airports?Why Target Airports?
Now Power Plants have smaller physical design and footprint
Airport’s proximity to: Main Gas pipeline for Gas Turbine fuel supply Electrical Substations to connect to Grid Water / wastewater resources
Land use near airports often zoned light /heavy industrial
2010 ACA Conference2010 ACA Conference
So Why Target Airports?So Why Target Airports?
Perceived attractive monetary incentives offered by power companies e.g. $20,000,000 to The City of Hayward & Agencies
Perceived tax revenues for City/County without consideration of adverse impacts
Sponsors of airports often misunderstand impact of loss of useable airspace
Weak/out of date Airport Land Use Plans/ addressing potential hazards
Byron Airport OngoingByron Airport Ongoing
Status– John Pfeifer~ AOPA, Andy Wilson and Carol
Ford tour site with power plant applicant and
FAA and STAFF at Byron Airport– CalPilots~ Wilson/Ford appear before Contra
Costa ALUC 5x so far.– Finding of Incompatibility~ Power Plant People
upset! Sept 22, 2010 Next Meeting.
2010 ACA Conference2010 ACA Conference
Hayward Executive AirportHayward Executive Airport(RCEC) Ongoing(RCEC) Ongoing
Congressman Pete Stark Wrote letter to FAA Administrator 9-22-09
Has the FAA– studied the potential safety risks of RCEC?– analyzed whether avoid plumes NOTAM is
sufficient to avoid dangers at airports?
Pending Federal PSD Application
2010 ACA Conference2010 ACA Conference
Future Ongoing Future Ongoing
CALPILOTS continues to oppose power plants within 5-10 miles of airports at both local and state (CEC) level.
FAA studying of effects of thermal plumes, due by end 2010
New AIM page~(213-4) http://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications CalTrans Aeronautics updating Airport Land
Use Handbook
2010 ACA Conference2010 ACA Conference
Thank YouThank You
ContactContactCarol Ford Ford Aviation Consultants650-591-8308650-400-9408 [email protected] www.airportgrants.com
www. calpilots.org
