First Name | Sarah |
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Last Name | Sauter |
Email Address | sarah@theconservationcenter.org |
Affiliation | Western Slope Conservation Center |
Subject | roposed offset protocol for mine methane capture |
Comment | The Western Slope Conservation Center is a grassroots non-profit conservation organization in western Colorado. We are dedicated to protecting and enhancing the environment and quality of life in Delta County and Colorado's Western Slope. The Conservation Center strongly supports the proposed California Air Resources Board (ARB) compliance offset protocol for mine methane capture (MMC) projects. The Conservation Center is located in Colorado's North Fork Valley which is home to three coal mines. Each of our mines must vent methane gas as a safety precaution. We have always encouraged the mines to capture the methane because of its properties as a potent green house gas, which is up to 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide. Methane also is an energy source that if used conserves energy from other sources and reduces green house gas emissions. The World Bank estimates that 7,500,000,000 metric tons of CO2 equivalent per year of methane is emitted annually around the world. That methane if used for electricity generation for example could produce 250,000,000 Mega Watt Hours per year. In 2012 a local partnership between Aspen Ski Company, Holy Cross Energy, Oxbow Carbon, Gunnison Energy Corporation, and Vessels Coal Gas enabled the first coal mine methane capture facility in Colorado to go online. While groundbreaking, the project in our valley was only possible because Aspen Ski Company was willing to pay higher rates for the energy generated from the coal mine methane. The Conservation Center envisions a future where all methane vented from mines can be converted to local electricity. Unfortunately, mines in the USA typically are pressured to sign electricity agreements prohibiting them from self generating any electricity from their own waste methane. There is no incentive to avoid methane emissions and rules to reduce emissions are likely to take years and never be as effective as an economic incentive. We have no verifiable estimate of methane emissions over all from active or abandoned mines as the cost of performing detailed surveys is prohibitive. This protocol will encourage the generation of new and accurate data of methane emissions from mines. This could encourage more research and measurement of methane emissions from all sources. The Conservation Center encourages the California Air Resources Board to approve and make effective the protocol as soon as possible. |
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Date and Time Comment Was Submitted | 2014-04-03 08:48:54 |
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