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Pwe 14 THE HERALD OUTLOOK Saturday February 11 UBS Hydro fights air pollution Ontario Hydro will spend billion between now and the end of the Century In efforts to meet or better provincial targets for reduc ing air pollution Hydro Chairman and President Robert Franklin said recently This comprehensive program reflects the desires of the people of Ontario for a cleaner environ ment Mr Franklin said It also demonstrates Ontario Hydros own commitment to meeting the pro vinces electricity needs while pro tecting the environment In accordance with the En vironmental Protection Act and the governments Countdown Acid Rain program Hydros plans to cut acid gas emissions have been submitted to Energy Minister Bob Wong and Environment Minister Jim Bradley The program would reduce the amount of add gas emissions by more than GO per cent from a high of tonnes in 1962 to less than 2X5000 tonnes in 1994 Forecasts in dicate that over that same period Hydros production of electricity will have increased by about per cent Hydros report places the options into four categories installing emission control equipment such as scrubbers reducing the use of coal generation reducing sulphur content in fuel and installing cleaner new generation Franklin said the earliest Hydro can install and start operating scrubbers on coal fired stations is We plan to start operating the first pair of scrubbers on the Generating Station no later than provided we receive early government ap proval of our Environmental Assessment In total we are for the installation of eight scrubbers by the year at a cost of almost 3 billion Mr Franklin said Mr Franklin said the province will have to rely on energy efficien cy programs new independent generation hydro electric development and the Darlington Nuclear Generating Station in order to reduce the use of coal in the future Mr Franklin said one of the dif ficulties facing Hydro is trying to predict how much of a role coal fired stations will play in meeting future electricity needs pected increases in demand for electricity unpredictable water levels and unforeseen station outages all contribute to the uncer tainty about the use of coal Because of this uncertainty Hydrtf has to plan for a range of coal use The utility will continue its forts to reduce the level of sulphur in the coal it bums To make this possible Hydro has approved million for the installation of flue gas conditioners at its and stations The condi tioners make it possible to burn lower sulphur coal without increas ing the amount of ash released Mr Franklin said no one option is enough to meet government regulations 1 Many of the options are being used now to reduce emissions and most of those will continue to be us ed However new options will also be needed to ensure that the regulations continue to be met Mr Franklin said The options Hydro will employ to meet the acid gas regulations are expected to cost about billion by the year 2000 Mr Franklin said This will result in rates being about a half to three per cent higher than they would otherwise have been in the late 1990s Mr Franklin said Hydros acid gas control policy will meet or bet ter the regulations set by the pro vincial government Hydros emis sions in 1968 were an estimated 381000 tonnes below the regulatory limit of 000 tonnes and 13000 less thin the 1987 figure PHOTO REPRINTS appearing in The Herald ladies Quelph Street CENTRE 877921 8 Gift Wrapping For Our Gentlemen Shoppers WW Sato DOUBLE DUTY PERM No Appointment Necenaiy Satisfaction Guaranteed CENTRE 21 Quelph StrMt Gaaraatown SHAMPOO CUT 8c BLOW STYLE NOW ONLY 95 coupon i MARCH 1689 ALL PERMS SAVE UP TO 3000 MARCH WPr rW