In the United States today nearly all of our electricity is

In the United States today, nearly all of our electricity is

produced by fossil-fuel power plants burning coal or natural

gas, nuclear power plants, and hydroelectric power plants.

Using the Internet, determine

environmental considerations associated with it and how such

environmental aspects affect the respective plant design,

operation, and cost. Write a report with at least three references.

Solution

What is Fossil Fuel Power Station??

A fossil-fuel power station is a power station which burns fossil fuel such as coal, natural gas or petroleum to produce electricity.

Fossil fueled power stations are major emitters of carbon dioxide (CO₂), a greenhouse gas which according to a consensus opinion of scientific organisations is a contributor toglobal warming.

In 2011, utility coal plants in the United States emitted a total of 1.7 billion tons of CO2

Other harmful pollutants emitted annually from a typical, uncontrolled coal plant include approximately:

NATURAL RESOURCES IMPACT

1) AIR

Operating Power Plants will produce Air pollutents like SO₂,CO₂ into atmosphere which requiring pollution control equipements to reduce emissions

When Air Pollution levels increases in a particular area which may lead to health problems in people

2) Water Quantity:

Many power plants use water from lakes,rivers or ground water acquifers. Surface water is often used for plant cooling and plant water is often for plant processes.

So if water is often drawn from Acquifers,pumping of underground waters in a large quantities will creats cone depression around the well,lowering water levels around some region to the place where we will utilised ground water

3) Water Quality

Power plants must discharge purified and cleaned water they should carry a little heat or newly dissolved materials as possible

4)Vegetation

Vegetation impacts can be of two basic kinds:

• Direct impacts of vegetation removal or damage during construction.

• Indirect impacts on vegetation from air pollution or surface water impacts caused by the power plant

COMMUNITY RESOURCES IMPACT

1) Agriculturals

Farm fields outside the proposed power plant property could also be affected, at least temporarily, by construction of ancillary facilities like natural gas or water pipelines or electric transmission lines.

2)Air Space

Tall power plant structures such as transmission towers, exhaust stacks, or wind turbines can be potential hazards to aircraft attempting to land or take off. Whether the airport is a public facility or a private landing strip, the safety of the people in the aircraft must be considered.

The level of safety can be maintained by building tall power plant structures in locations clear of runway alignments and aircraft approach paths, where planes reduce altitude and turn to approach the runway at a safe height and speed

3)Fog and Ice

Fossil-fueled power plants that use steam to turn the turbines must condense the steam afterward and re-circulate the water back into the system

4)Noise

Noise from a power plant is of particular concern to nearby residents, medical facilities, schools, daycares, or users of nearby parks or other recreational places.

Noise of different frequencies can have different effects. Lower frequencies are often felt as vibration, or have the effects of vibration on structures. Heavy vibration can be annoying to nearby residents or cause damage to structures.

5)Odors and Light

Odors that come from a power plant can be a concern to nearby residents. There is usually a public interest in understanding the cause and strength of any odors and knowing the distance these odors may travel beyond the plant site boundary

6)Aesthetics

Aesthetic impacts are usually viewed in two basic ways. One way is to analyze the actual impacts of a power plant on the local “viewscape”.

The other way to look at aesthetics is the perception or impression a power plant creates in the minds of individuals. This impression can be affected by plant appearance, sounds, and smells, as well as by the plant’s effect on local traffic patterns and traffic congestion

7)Solid Waste Management

The amount and type of wastes from a power plant depend on the type of power plant and the fuel used. Wastes from power plants include sludge, ash and office wastes.

A coal-fired plant needs a landfill site to meet the ash disposal requirements of the DNR. Some plants may have landfills on-site while others would need an off-site landfill.

8)Electric Transmission or Distribution Changes

Changes in the local electric distribution system might be necessary, leading to additional inconveniences or costs to local distribution utilities. Usually, the distribution utility and the transmission utility, if they are not the same company, work out an equitable cost-sharing arrangement for distribution changes.