Plant to reduce pollution with new technology

by Rosie Lukanc
For The Post

A university-owned heating plant might see some upgrades soon — an improvement that could reduce pollution.

Ohio University officials hope to upgrade the Lausche Heating Plant to minimize the pollution emitted, said Wayne Mullins, the plant's chief engineer. But no dates have been set as to when this might happen.

"Things do get old, and we don't look at ourselves as the largest pollutant," said Jim Matthews, OU environmental health and safety director.

During the upgrade a new type of pollution filter, called a bag house, will be installed, Mullins said. Bag houses work like vacuums, sucking out pollutants.

"Instead of an electrostatic precipitator, which uses magnetic power to filter the pollutants, a bag house is equipped with a series of bags to remove them," Mullins said.

Electrostatic precipitators filter chemicals from the burning coal before the pollutants can be released into the air, he said

Lausche will be one of the few plants with this new technology, said Pete Clark, director of utility production and distribution at the plant.

"It will cut our emissions down drastically - we think down to 2 or 3 percent," Clark said.

The upgrade will cost about $6 million, Mullins said. But he and Matthews said they think the improvements are worth the money.

The bag house also could benefit OU, Mullins said. The bags use cheaper coal to heat the buildings, and the trapped pollutants may be sold to fertilizer companies.

Currently, the plant, owned by Ohio University, heats all university buildings with coal, said Wayne Mullins, the plant's chief engineer.

The pollution comes from the electrostatic precipitators the plant has been using since 1979. The burnt coal produces residue, called flash, that causes pollution, Clark said.

But even with the older precipitators, the plant operates at least 10 percent below Environmental Protection Agency maximums on flash emissions, Clark said.