EPA whiffs power plant

EPA whiffs power plant
Proponents argue air is clean; opponents worry about mercury
Sunday, September 17th 2006By John R. Crane Journal Staff Writer
Sithe Global officials say the Desert Rock power plant would cap mercury output by at least 80 percent and would set a new standard for pollution controls for other energy facilities.
"The air, with or without Desert Rock, is getting signifi-cantly cleaner."
-Frank Maisano Sithe Global
In the last 30 years, pollution has continued to decrease, and will continue to improve whether the Desert Rock Energy Project happens or not, said Frank Maisano, the project’s spokesman.
“The air, with or without Desert Rock, is getting significantly cleaner,” Maisano said during an interview Thursday afternoon before a Desert Rock information session at Fort Lewis College in Durango.
About 60 people attended the meeting hosted by representatives from Region 9 of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Desert Rock officials are seeking a construction permit, known as a Clean Air Act Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) permit, for the 1,500-megawatt, coal-fired power plant.
The plant would cover 600 acres on Navajo Nation land about 25 miles south of Shiprock, N.M. It would provide electricity for consumers in Arizona, Nevada and California. Sithe Global hopes to begin plant construction by fall 2007 and have it operating in 2011.
Montezuma County residents who attended expressed concerns about the lack of mercury monitoring equipment in the area.
“We can’t really be at the table; (we are) at an unsafe disadvantage if we don’t have the ... data,” said Eric Janes, a retired hydrologist, during an interview Friday morning. He attended the session on behalf of the Montezuma-Cortez League of Women Voters. “Mercury is really a huge concern in this area.”
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