Factbox: EPA's looming clean air rules | Reuters
Some items, perhaps of interest, from the link:
"* MERCURY, TOXIC POLLUTANTS FROM POWER PLANTS
The EPA finalized rules aimed at slashing mercury and other toxic air pollution from power plants in December.The U.S. Midwest power grid operator has said this is the air rule that would close the most coal-fired power plants.
We've documented quite a number of times that various technologies for gasifying Coal, and then catalytically transforming the synthesis gas thus produced into a high-Methane content synthetic, or substitute, "natural" gas, quite suitable for introduction into, and compatible with, existing natural gas pipelines, had at one time become almost commonplace.
The topic we address herein might be one initially distasteful to some of our readers.
But, given both the seeming trend of regulatory sentiment, and what might be the very real potentials for actually making a buck or two, we thought we should begin addressing it.
Quantex targets coal-to-liquids conversion at less than $50 per barrel
We've made many references to WVU's "West Virginia Process" for the direct liquefaction of Coal; but, our reportage has been sadly incomplete since we've so far been unable to provide you very many of the precise, or complete, technical details of their system.
We have, though, lately been focusing more attention on that effort, and will begin in coming reports to attempt fuller explanation of what we've learned of it.
As seen in a recent dispatch, now accessible on the West Virginia Coal Association's web site, via the link:
US Government Coal Ash Cement Stronger than Portland Cement | Research & Development; we made report of: "United States Patent 4,256,504 - Fly Ash-based Cement; 1981; Assignee: The United States of America (as represented by the Secretary of the Interior); Abstract: A cement composition comprising a high calcium-content fly ash and calcium sulfate, and mortar and concrete compositions containing the cement. A cement composition consisting essentially of (1) a major proportion of a fly ash ... and (2) about 5 to 15 percent by weight of calcium sulfate";