Air Pollution in Lancaster County: Should We Be Concerned?

By Allen Kreider Supervisor, Manor Township

Carbon Dioxide Should we be concerned?

CO2e is the abbreviation for carbon dioxide equivalents.
- CO2 = Carbon Dioxide greenhouse effect is (1)
- CH4 = Methane Greenhouse effect is (21) X CO2
- PFC = Perfluorocarbons effect is (6000-9000). X CO2
- HFC= Hydrocarbons effect is (1,000-10,000). X CO2
- SF6 = Sulfur Hexafluoride effect is (23,900) X CO2
Does this make CO2 harmless? NO. CO2 is produced in such large quantities that all other gasses influence the greenhouse effect of the atmosphere much less than CO2.
One gallon of gasoline produces 20 pounds of Carbon Dioxide.
North America is the highest fossil fuel emitting region in the world. It emits 1.73 billion tons of carbon per year, 92% of which came from the United States as of 2002

The PPL / LCSWMA gas to electric project in Manor Township, Lancaster County will produce 3.2 Mega Watts of electric. For every 1,100 cubic feet per minute (CFM) of methane gas combusted in the engines, there will be 1,100 CFM of CO2 gas dumped into the atmosphere.
EPA does not regulate CO2 gas discharge from landfills.
There are no regulations from DEP or the EPA to reward the cleaning of CO2 gases from landfills. Modern technology can convert CO2 gases from landfills into health grade liquid carbon dioxide for sale and use by industrial customers.
Why isn't this being done?
Equipment is currently available that will remove and convert the CO2 into health grade liquid. This process will also remove highly toxic contaminants such as sulfur compounds, siloxanes and dioxins, thereby decreasing the amount of greenhouse gases from entering the atmosphere. Such a process could be accomplished if the U.S. Government gave tax incentives to investors of Gas to Electric conversion operations.
Landfill sites generate over a quarter of the methane emissions caused by human activity in Canada, sending 1.2 million tons of the potent greenhouse gas into the atmosphere each year. However, "Natural Resources Canada" is currently working to control this gas and CO2 discharge.
Why are DEP and EPA not doing this?

Ozone depletion due to excess CO2 gas release is harmful to human health. CO2 buildup in the atmosphere adds to UV rays transferred to earth. Human health studies show that non- melanoma skin cancer, malignant melanoma and the development of cataracts are just a few of the harmful health effects.
UVB rays are the middle wave ultraviolet light. Under controlled conditions, they can be used as UVB phototherapy for certain skin conditions, but uncontrolled, they can be devastating to human skin.
UVB radiation has been shown to affect both orientation mechanisms and mortality in plankton resulting in reduced survival rate for these organisms.
UVB rays have been found to cause developmental damage to fish, crabs, and shrimp, reduce reproductive capacity, and impair larval development
Out of 62 Counties in Pennsylvania, Lancaster County is rated 19^th in toxic chemical release: 1,335,254 pounds per year.