Different power plant, same story

This story from the Stockton Record should be pretty familiar to folks in Mountain House and Tracy. Build a power plant in Alameda County, send the smog to the San Joaquin Valley.

By now, this is no random occurence. It's a pattern. We've seen efforts to do this time and again (though not always successfully), and it always seems like San Joaquin County gets the short end of the stick in terms of pollution fallout and lack of tax revenue.

Of course, it isn't counties that approve sites for power plants. That is vested with a state agency, though counties can voice their pleasure or umbrage at a possible location. (I'm guessing Alameda County folks don't mind reaping the economic benefits of a plant when the wind will blow the less-than-desirable side effects into someone else's backyard.)

Mitigation measures extracted from power producers by our local air pollution control district (in the case of this plant, $200,000 worth) undoubtedly help. But that doesn't excuse the trend.

Expect it continue, though, as the area near Mountain House previously targeted for power generators has nearby water supplies and easy hook-ups to electrical infrastructure.

Breathe lightly, my friends.