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This study examines the economic requirements and health consequences of converting an electrical power generating unit from oil to coal combustion at the West Springfield, MA Generating Station. Three alternative coal combustion emission control technologies are investigated: electrostatic precipitator, fabric filter, and Venturi scrubber. Health risks are evaluated for excess lifetime cancers for arsenic, beryllium, cadmium, chromium+6, formaldehyde and polycyclic organic material (POM) using the Air Emission Risk Assessment Model (AERAM). Emissions and resulting ambient concentrations are determined for copper, mercury, manganese, lead and nickel. Two residual fuel oils representing a nominal and extreme case for pollutant emissions were considered along with two coal fuels representing a “clean coal” and a nominal bituminous coal. Capital costs for control systems and conversion to coal in addition to the changes in annual operating costs were considered in the economic tradeoffs. Values were assigned to the cost of an excess cancer and differential costs between oil and coal in order to reach break-even conditions for fuel switching. Based on the scenarios for the West Springfield Plant and fuel characteristics, the cancer risk results are comparable for the types of fuels considered, with the tradeoffs dependent on the economics of fuel price differentials. |
