State fights permit for Desert Rock coal plant
San Juan county is already home to two coal plants including this one, the San Juan Generating Station
The state of New Mexico filed an appeal on Oct. 2 against the Environmental Protection Agency’s decision to award an air permit for the Desert Rock power plant.
Attorney General Gary King said in a statement that the board should send the air permit back to the EPA with an order to re-evaluate specific issues.
"The EPA has a legal obligation to give New Mexicans the full
protections afforded to them under the Clean Air Act. The problem here
is that EPA cut corners to get this permit out the door and ignored
some real problems," King said.
The EPA issued the permit on July 31 for Desert Rock — a
1,500-megawatt, coal-fired electric plant that Sithe Global Power LLC
and the Navajo Nation plan to build south of Farmington in northwest
New Mexico.
More coverage:
- State appeals Desert Rock air permit (Santa Fe New Mexican)
- State fights Desert Rock (The Farmington Daily Times)
- NM appeals coal plant's air permit (Durango Herald)
