Against a backdrop of steady opposition during those two years from the Nicetown community, as well as from health, faith and environmental groups and a number of city and state elected officials, on November 29, 2017 Air Management Services (AMS) a division of the Philadelphia Health Department, issued the final required permit.

Multiple appeals to the permit were filed and a hearing was just held on April 17th where three lawyers representing the city (who brought a dolly stacked with boxes of papers) and a lawyer representing the opposition groups presented motions and called witnesses.  About 100 concerned citizens packed a room with seating for 80.  Jondhi Harrell, Director of the Center for Returning Citizens, spoke on behalf of the local community as well as  Neighbors Against the Gas Plants. And public health expert and former Philadelphia Health Commissioner, Dr. Walter Tsou, spoke about the health impacts of air pollution.

The proceedings continued for about two and a half hours before adjourning, to be continued on June 12th at noon. We will be looking to once again pack the house for the June continuation. 

The plant is being contested for many reasons, but the one most central to the hearing is the pollution it will add to an already burdened neighborhood.

The permit application submitted by SEPTA to AMS details expected plant emissions including: 21.7 tons per year (tpy) of Nitrogen Oxides (NOx), 27 tpy of Carbon Monoxide (CO) and 16.3 tpy of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs).  These pollutants are known to contribute to the formation of smog which can cause or aggravate health problems including asthma, emphysema, bronchitis and other respiratory conditions.

Ultrafine particles (UFPs) will also be emitted, but are currently not regulated by EPA, and do not have to be reported; however, there is a growing body of evidence about the health risks associated with UFPs, which may be released at high levels by gas-fired power plants.  We ask SEPTA and AMS to observe the precautionary principle.  More than 37,000 people live within a mile of the proposed plant.  Community health should be the primary consideration.

Responding to the many concerns raised at a June 2017 hearing about UFPs that will be generated by the plant, and the growing body of research cited about UFP heath impacts, AMS had only this to say “AMS determined that the UFP emissions from the CHP project are not expected to have a significant impact on public health or air quality.”

The Nicetown community is already burdened with a great deal of air pollution. The plant would be located near SEPTA's largest depot, which houses 300 diesel buses, and a few blocks from the Roosevelt Expressway, another major source of local pollution.  In 2012, a Philadelphia Health Management Corporation study estimated that 31% of children in the 19140 zip code, adjacent to the site of the proposed plant, had been diagnosed with asthma.

Opponents of the plant still hope to convince SEPTA to invest in transitioning to clean, renewable energy sources rather than committing to 20 more years of generating fossil fuel pollution and emissions.

To learn more or get involved go to www.350philadelphia.org/septa.