DID YOU KNOW A POWER PLANT IS PROPOSED FOR CONSTRUCTION ON THE CORNER OF ANTONIO AND AVENDALE IN LADERA RANCH?
- Site is roughly 300 ft. from homes, 1500 ft. from a preschool and within a mile of 7 schools.
- A 50-foot "exhaust" stack will be visible from many home sites in Ladera.
- 18,000 gallons of toxic aqueous ammonia will be stored on site in an above-ground tank.
- The plant is being permitted to run as many as 2,460 hours each year (or 8 hours/day, 307 days/year).
- The 46 megawatt electrical generator runs on natural gas and is powered by a large jet-turbine engine.
- Federal government says this plant is a major air pollution facility (subject to Title V of the Clean Air Act)
- Power plants or generators like these are considered security risks by the Federal Government Department of Homeland Security.
- Construction could start as soon as February 2008.
DID YOU KNOW THAT WHILE ALL SDG&E CUSTOMERS MAY GAIN ENERGY FROM THIS PLANT, LADERA (AND SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES) BEARS ALL THE RISK?
- We don't dispute that additional sources of power are needed; however, this power plant will not provide power specifically (or exclusively) for Ladera Ranch or even South Orange County.
- It will benefit all SDG&E customers, and could provide power to a multi-state power grid.
DID YOU KNOW THAT THIS POWER PLANT POSES A LOT OF RISKS TO OUR COMMUNITY?
- The County's review of the environmental impacts of the power plant is inadequate, raising many important questions in view of the known characteristics of this type of facility.
- It emits varying levels of more than 20 air contaminants, many of which are known carcinogens.
- The South Coast Air Quality Management District (the "AQMD") has started only a limited analysis of the environmental and air quality impacts of the proposed project.
- The generator requires 18,000 gallons of toxic aqueous ammonia. Accidental discharge of ammonia poses a potentially significant hazard which has yet to be fully analyzed.
- Truck delivery of toxic ammonia to site will close streets and may endanger residents.
- The generator is a fire hazard in itself and adds to the wildfire hazard in our neighborhood.
- Noise from jet-turbine generator and odor from the ammonia may be recurring public nuisances.
- In the real estate market, risk (whether it's real or perceived) results in REAL DECLINE in the value of your Ladera home.
- Once built, the power plant will FOREVER CHANGE the land use in Ladera Ranch, making it much harder to fight heavy industry (including expansion of any proposed industrial uses "related to" to the power plant) in the future.
DID YOU KNOW THAT THERE ARE OTHER PLACES TO BUILD THIS PLANT?
- An Environmental Impact Report for the project (which has not yet been done) would force SDG&E/Wellhead/County to disclose and carefully consider alternative locations.
- We want this plant to be built at a site away from homes, schools, parks and families.
DID YOU KNOW THAT THIS POWER PLANT HAS BEEN APPROVED BY THE COUNTY WITHOUT THE COUNTY ASKING MANY OF THE MOST IMPORTANT QUESTIONS?
- County Supervisor Bates has requested more public outreach and a complete analysis.
- What impact on air quality will the project's emissions really have? So far, the analysis by the County and the AQMD has been rushed and very limited.
- Why wasn't a full Environmental Impact Report required?
- How can this facility get approved so quickly and with such limited information and analysis, when a power plant 4 MW bigger would get a long and thorough review by the California Energy Commission?
- What will this plant do to our property values?
- What safety precautions/notification procedures are planned to protect our families from the hazardous release of toxic aqueous ammonia (especially because homes and schools are so close)?
- How loud will the natural gas-fired aircraft engine powering this plant be?
- The Ladera Specific Plan, which was adopted by the County, does not allow heavy industry - until now. How will bringing "heavy industry" to Ladera Ranch change our community? Will it bring more industrial facilities? Will it bring more power plants? What about our "Ladera Dream"?
- Will we be fighting an expansion of this plant down the road (like the residents of Chula Vista in San Diego County who are fighting SDG&E to stop the expansion of their 44 MW plant to a 100 MW facility)?
DID YOU KNOW THAT LADERA HOPE FILED A LAWSUIT BECAUSE THERE WERE SERIOUS PROBLEMS WITH THE COUNTY'S APPROVAL PROCESS? For example,
- The County didn't address the important issues and concerns which must be considered when siting a power plant; with appropriate public outreach and a hearing many of the above questions would have been answered.
- The project map in the County's Notice was wrong; it showed facility near Irvine Spectrum/Aliso Viejo.
- The County's Notice was posted in 3 libraries, but NOT the Ladera Ranch Public Library.
- Government officials and even SDG&E/Wellhead have admitted that public outreach failed.
- Residents and homeowners were not provided with notice. They were not provided with facts.
DID YOU KNOW THAT LADERA RANCH CAN STILL DO SOMETHING TO REMEDY THE COUNTY'S (AND SDG&E/WELLHEAD'S) MISTAKES AND RELOCATE THIS POWER PLANT?
- Ladera Hope has hired aggressive attorneys and filed a lawsuit to protect the interests of area residents: We want the proposed construction of the power plant to be stopped and we want the County to do a full Environmental Impact Report.
- The AQMD has not yet issued its permit (which is required prior to construction) and has agreed to consider issues and concerns raised by residents of Ladera Ranch and neighboring communities.
- Ladera HOPE is hiring air quality experts to challenge the County's and AQMD's findings regarding the air quality impacts of the project and convince the AQMD not to issue its permit.
- LARMAC has said they can't get involved in power plant issue.
- No city gov't exists to stand up for Ladera residents - that's why Ladera Hope was formed!
- Ladera Hope is calling for a process which will allow fully informed decisions about this issue to be made by the Ladera Ranch community and permitting authorities. The appropriate review process would include participation and input from technical experts and professionals, and the community.
- We need to come together as a community to wage this battle (pooling our talents and our money) - There's too much at stake for Ladera, for our families and for our future!
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