Oregonian: Pressure mounting to close Boardman

The new gates prepared for when CO2 hits 425 --- which will be soon if we don't stop mining and burning coal. Image via Wikipedia

Finally. What say you, M. Lee Pelton, PGE Board Member?


A reader sent me a copy of this note that was sent to President Pelton:










Dear Dr. Pelton,

A recent posting to citizenforum, a Salem listserve, revealed your membership on the PGE Board of Directors. The person posted the comments below and I decided to share them with you and ask for your comment.

Assuming you are on the PGE Board, does that mean you endorse the operation of the Boardman coal plant outlined in the comments? If you disagree with how Boardman is managed, how do you communicate your concerns to the PGE Board?

Sincerely,

The letter writer was referring to this:

"While it would be unfair to impute questions about minor corporate operational details to board members, I don't think it's at all unfair to assume that a board member of a major utility --- someone appointed to look out for shareholders' interests --- is on board with fundamental policy questions, absent some evidence to the contrary.

PGE operates the worst polluting plant in Oregon, one pumping millions of tons of carbon dioxide, nitrous oxides, mercury, and radioactive materials into the atmosphere annually. PGE collects and spends millions of ratepayer dollars patting itself on the back for its greenwashing efforts while quietly but insistently arguing to the PUC that it must not be made to shut down the plant (the Boardman coal plant). The public is entitled to assume that all PGE board members supports the utility's policies on questions of major public policy direction unless a board member disassociates himself from those policies and campaigns to change them."