1. Power Plants and Airports Don’t Mix Carol Ford CALPILOTS calpilots.org 2010 ACA Conference South Lake Tahoe

2. What’s the Problem?  Power Companies are targeting open land within 3 miles of a runway to construct power plants which have plumes~ a hazard to aviation safety.  Power plants are only recently being constructed near airports  Traditionally plants located further from airports (stacks exceeded 200 ft) with visible plumes 2010 ACA Conference

3. Airport Power Plant Summary Operational  Blythe I Operational CEC Approved but FAA rejects mitigation  Blythe II CEC Approved but FAA rejects mitigation Operational  Delano Operational  Russell City Before BAAQMD, CPUC and CEC  Eastshore Denied (CEC first in 20 years)  French Valley Riverside~ Power Co withdraws!!  Byron/Mariposa CEC  Palomar CEC  Tracy Operational 2010 ACA Conference

5. Blythe (BLH) Aeronautical Chart 2010 ACA Conference

6. Blythe I Power Plant, Blythe Airport (BLH) 2010 ACA Conference One Mile Final Runway 26

7. Blythe I Power Plant, Blythe Airport (BLH) Cooling Tower Vapor Plume Invisible Thermal Plume 2010 ACA Conference One Mile Final Runway 26

8. Blythe I Power Plant, Blythe Airport (BLH) 2010 ACA Conference

9. Potential Hazards for Pilots – Aircraft - Parachutists  Invisible High velocity buoyant thermal plumes 850 + degrees  Opaque Water vapor plumes from exhaust stacks and cooling water towers  Toxic Exhaust plume emissions with little or no Oxygen content  Accidental Hazardous gas and liquids releases to atmosphere 2010 ACA Conference

10. Results In  Pilot Thermal Plume incident reports and / or Accidents  Pilot diversion and distraction from cockpit  Helicopter accident - engine oxygen starvation (NTSB)  FAA Safety Plume Study Jan 2006  CEC Denial of Eastshore Power Plant 1 mile from Hayward Executive Airport 2010 ACA Conference

11. Why Target Airports?  Now Power Plants have smaller physical design and footprint  Airport’s proximity to:  Main Gas pipeline for Gas Turbine fuel supply  Electrical Substations to connect to Grid  Water / wastewater resources  Land use near airports often zoned light /heavy industrial 2010 ACA Conference

12. So Why Target Airports?  Perceived attractive monetary incentives offered by power companies e.g. $20,000,000 to The City of Hayward & Agencies  Perceived tax revenues for City/County without consideration of adverse impacts  Sponsors of airports often misunderstand impact of loss of useable airspace  Weak/out of date Airport Land Use Plans/ addressing potential hazards

13. Byron Airport Ongoing  Status –John Pfeifer~ AOPA, Andy Wilson and Carol Ford tour site with power plant applicant and FAA and STAFF at Byron Airport –CalPilots~ Wilson/Ford appear before Contra Costa ALUC 5x so far. –Finding of Incompatibility~ Power Plant People upset! Sept 22, 2010 Next Meeting. 2010 ACA Conference

14. Hayward Executive Airport (RCEC) Ongoing  Congressman Pete Stark Wrote letter to FAA Administrator 9-22-09  Has the FAA –studied the potential safety risks of RCEC? –analyzed whether avoid plumes NOTAM is sufficient to avoid dangers at airports?  Pending Federal PSD Application 2010 ACA Conference

15. Future Ongoing  CALPILOTS continues to oppose power plants within 5-10 miles of airports at both local and state (CEC) level.  FAA studying of effects of thermal plumes, due by end 2010  New AIM page~(213-4) http://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications  CalTrans Aeronautics updating Airport Land Use Handbook 2010 ACA Conference 2010 ACA Conference

16. Thank You Contact Carol Ford Ford Aviation Consultants 650-591-8308 650-400-9408 cell ford@airportgrants.com www.airportgrants.com www. calpilots.org