Current Events Archives

On the morning of June 2nd, there was a small fire at the Potomac River Generating Station on Unit 4. The Alexandria Fire Department responded to the incident. The fire was safely extinguished and the affected boiler unit shut down.

On May 12, Mirant provided notification to the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality that a portion of the existing windscreen, one of many air pollution control systems, has been damaged due to heavy winds and rains. The dislocated windscreen is approximately 60 feet of windscreen located on the east side of the coal pile. Several feet of water on both sides of the east wall are slowing repair efforts. As soon as conditions are safe, employees will make necessary repairs. Mirant is committed to providing its neighbors with timely notification of events or operational changes that are of importance to the community.

Mirant welcomes community to May 17th Potomac River Generating Station Open House

Twice each year, the Mirant Potomac River Generating Station opens its doors to the community for an introduction to the plant’s management team and an up close and personal look at how electricity is generated. It’s that time again; so join us on Saturday, May 17th for light refreshments, a short Electricity 101 presentation and a tour of the plant!
RSVPs and appropriate attire are required. Children must be in 3rd grade or above and able to fit the provided safety gear to take the plant tour.
Get more details about the Open House»
Take a virtual tour of the plant»

The demand for energy in the Washington, D.C. region is increasing, as well as costs; unless electricity generation can meet the electricity demand, the consequences could become extreme. Read more»

Around midnight on April 1st, a fire-trained plant supervisor noticed a one square foot section of tarp smoldering. The small fire was contained to that area and extinguished with water. The incident did not present a danger to the power plant or community.

On the afternoon of March 3rd, a noticeable sheen was detected on the Potomac River. As standard procedure, Alexandria fire crews were dispatched to the plant. After a thorough investigation by Hazmat Unit Chief John North, it was determined that the sheen was actually pollen and categorized as a non-event.

After many meetings with technical presentations and public comment, the Virginia State Air Pollution Control Board was expected to adopt one of two permits under consideration at its Thursday, March 20, 2008 meeting: A permit based on a five-stack operation at the Potomac River plant or one based on a two-stack operation, including a stack merge»
Citing concerns about emissions limits for Particulate Matter 2.5 and Nitrogen Oxides as well as concerns about whether the permit addressed New Source Review, the Air Board removed the five-stack permit from consideration and postponed a decision on a final State Operating Permit until at least May 20, 2008. Mirant will continue to work with the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality and the Air Board to provide data and information in support of a permit that will enable the stack merge to go forward in fall 2008.

Mirant installed a 12 foot high internal fence and attached windscreen to help control fugitive dust from the Potomac River coal pile. The fence and windscreen are considered a required pollution control device by EPA and the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). DEQ issued a Notice of Violation for Air Pollution Control Law and Regulations on March 12, 2008. The damage to the windscreen noted in the NOV has been repaired. Mirant conducts daily inspections to ensure that the windscreen remains in proper working order. Mirant is cooperating with the DEQ to ensure that any and all deficiencies are identified and resolved in a timely manner.

State Implementation Plan for Air Quality Submitted to EPA Region in Compliance with Fine Particulate Matter Standards

Regional air quality is an important issue, but monitoring shows that the greater Washington metropolitan region is in compliance with federal fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) standards. Also, to the extent that fine particulate matter is an issue, it is an issue throughout the entire region.
The draft State Implementation Plan submitted to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (MWCOG) states that the region is within compliance.
The MWCOG's related Resolution adopted by its Metropolitan Washington Air Quality Committee does not impose any new obligations on Mirant, nor does it suggest that any area is not within the standards.
Mirant currently collects and analyzes ambient air quality data and the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality already ensures that the plant operates within the limits of its environmental permits for all emissions.
Mirant continues to demonstrate its commitment to environmentally safe electricity generation, having invested millions in environmental controls at the plant, and continuing to work to implement the stack merge, which would further reduce ambient air emissions.
The Air Board is scheduled to reconvene on March 20th.

We have implemented various environmental controls to reduce emissions at the Potomac River plant. In addition to installing new systems, we look for ways to improve our existing environmental technology to maximize results.

We recently began testing baking soda as an alternate to trona, for use in reducing sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions. The trona system has been in service since 2006 and has been very effective. Trona is a naturally occurring mineral, and SO2 emissions are down more than 60 percent since we began using it.

One of the major elements of trona is sodium bicarbonate — commonly known as baking soda. During our current round of testing, we found baking soda to be even more effective than trona, achieving equivalent SO2 reductions with less material used.
A possible upgrade to baking soda could benefit the community with improved air quality and less rail car traffic to remove fly ash. We began testing baking soda, with notification to our environmental regulators, on October 22nd and will conclude on November 28th. Check back here for an update on our findings. Or, join our e-mail list and we’ll let you know when the results are in.