Neighbors Against

the Gas Plants

Clean air and clean land is nice for nicetown!

Photo by Eddie Einbender-Luks

SEPTA’s fracked gas burning power plant is operating, adding 73 tons of air pollution/year to Nicetown, SW Germantown, & lower E. Falls.

The electricity generated by the plant is used to run regional trains that pass through Wayne Junction. PECO is the back-up system. The plant in located in SEPTA’s Midvale property at Roberts and Wissahickon Avenue, and can be seen from Roberts Avenue.

The City’s air contamination permit for SEPTA’s gas plant is up for renewal.

During the written public comment period in January, we requested a public hearing. Air Management Services did grant the request, and it happened on July 27th. See Events/Updates

Some concerns we began with

The EPA ECHO site reported violations of pollution limits and that repairs were made. The near neighbors deserve to know what is coming into the air and when it is happening, so that they can protect themselves and vulnerable family members by closing windows and not exercising outside. We are requesting continuous air monitoring units in the smoke stacks which operate 365 days/ year and post directly to your website in real time in a way that is user friendly for the general public to read.
The Health Department has no air monitoring station near Nicetown or SW Germantown. It should set up an ambient air monitoring station measuring ground ozone, NOx, VOCs, Fine Particulates and HAPS, in the nearby community. They should report daily to your website in real time and be easy for the public to access. Good locations: Wissahickon Avenue between the Kroc Center and Wissahickon Charter School, Clarissa St or Wayne Avenue near Steel Elementary school.
We want AMS to work with SEPTA to mitigate the nitrogen oxide, particulates, and carbon dioxide pollution to net zero, using thousands of trees planted on SEPTA’s property and on sidewalks surrounding it. Unfortunately trees cannot capture hazardous air pollutants.
Considering the escalation of the climate crisis, we want AMS to require and help SEPTA apply for federal grants to pay for solar panels on all of SEPTA’s rooftops on buildings at the Roberts Yard property, at Wayne Junction, and other properties. They should charge electric buses with solar power and transition other vehicles to electric.
SEPTA wants to increase emissions yet still receive a synthetic minor permit. This makes no sense. The De Minimus Emissions Increase on p. 19 of the permit must be removed.
During bad air days and during ozone season the plant must be turned off or to minimal operation, whichever pollutes the least. The overall gas usage should not increase during the rest of the year beyond the current average monthly usage to make up for ozone season which means annually, less gas will be burned.
If these things are too much to ask, please deny the permit.

SEPTA presented 3 community benefits in their 2016 marketing slideshow. No benefits have materialized as of April 2023

HOLD SEPTA ACCOUNTABLE

In 2011, SEPTA released a comprehensive sustainability plan. However, the gas plant violates each section of their "three pillar" approach. Click to read their Energy Action Plans for 2011, 2012, and 2018. Also see details of SEPTA’s goals and 5 year business plans in SEP-TAINABLE 2020.

Below is the City Health Department’s official list of annual toxic emissions from SEPTA’s gas plant in Nicetown. One toxic emission amount that is not provided by the city is ammonia. Non-toxic greenhouse gases are not listed. We can expect some methane leakage and tons of carbon dioxide from the combustion process. We don’t know the amount of CO2 but roughly estimated it’s somewhere between 36,000 - 50,000 tons, (depending on who did the math.)