A post on Facebook may be stirring up new fears over an old power plant.
It makes it appear the operators of the coal-burning plant in Avon Lake are seeking permission to step up their discharge of harmful pollutants into the waters of Lake Erie.
The post was produced by a group called “Ohio Beyond Coal,” which is backed by the Sierra Club, and claimed the plant is seeking permission to increase its discharge of suspended solids, oil and grease.
It also draws attention to a public EPA meeting Wednesday night at the Avon Lake Public Library, where residents can weigh in on the plant’s discharge permit process, which happens every five years.
Channel 3 News reached out to Dave Gaier, a spokesman for NRG Energy Inc., and to Dina Pierce, a spokeswoman for the Ohio EPA.
Pierce compared the permits and found the new one does not ask for an increase in discharge, only a continuation of current limits, which allow up to 389 million gallons of wastewater into Lake Erie each day.
“I asked staff and they said that ‘actually there’s no increase proposed,” Pierce said. “They did note that the mercury limit will be a little bit lower.”
Gaier with NRG reiterated that point, despite what he called “the assertions of the Sierra Club.”
The Sierra Club is also asserting that NRG may not be working quickly enough to meet new federal EPA recommendations when it comes to discharge.
A representative from Sierra Club plans to attend the EPA meeting, which goes from 6pm until 8pm. Chris Tye offers a preview of the meeting in the player below: