New Mexico (And Some Navajo) Object To 1,500-megawatt Coal-Fired Power Plant
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 08. 2.08
Governor Richardson has stated that New Mexico will appeal USEPAs issuance, this week, of an air permit needed to begin construction of a massive coal-fired plant.
New Mexico officials said Thursday they will appeal an air-quality permit the U.S. federal government granted...The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued a permit Thursday for a 1,500-megawatt coal-fired power plant called Desert Rock being developed on Navajo Nation land by the nation's Dine Power Authority and by energy company Sithe Global Power LLC. The developers estimate the plant will cost $3 billion.Via::Dow Jones News Wires, New Mexico Gov Richardson Objects To EPA Permit For Coal Plant.
The air permit does not limit mercury or C02 emissions. There are questions about USEPA's administrative procedures, used in issuing the permit. And, there has long been division and protest (as pictured) among the Navajo over the proposed plant. For details, see the Desert Rock Blog.
Via::Z Magazine, A (Desert) Rock By Any Other Name. Image credit::ZMag, Resistance Camp against proposed coal plant—photo from Elouise Brown
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It's Navajo, not Navaho.
What's wrong with the EPA is that it falls under the Executive Branch (i.e; George Bush). Folks need to quit acting so astonished when the EPA makes decisions like this that actually does not protect the environment. Only in America!!!
How many times can one group of people get screwed over. The Navajo Nation is actually a sovereign nation, so they don't get gov. aid for most things like education and welfare. But the U.S. has no problems making money off of their already tainted land.
Though not the best choice, is that about the cost and capacity of a nuclear plant? That is at least less obnoxious for the air. Plus, it seems NM is a good place for solar power. Do people have any say what their utility companies do?
From the "its a great deal - these fantastic beads for ""use"" of your land" to continually changing the rules of land ownership and negotiation for the Cherokee resulting in the relocation to a "protected paradise" in Oklahoma; capitalism's first tenent is the corporation and investor's return is more important than any indivdual or smaller group (or planet). Time and again native people have been sold out by "leaders" targeted by corporate interests. Few sophisticated experts could withstand the brainwashing and PR double talk, once corporate and government interests chooses your resources. Navajo land is unbelievably full of resources that will not destroy others as well as the earth. That coal interests should prevail is unthinkable. The coal company should be prosecuted for its "outreach". This is criminal. Success to the governor and to the tribal members opposing the crippling of life (presented by the coal company as preserving life.) Waddo
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency air permit does not limit mercury or C02 emissions.
Sounds like this Bush department should be renamed
"The U.S. Environmental Plundering Agency"
I am happy to see the protests. This is a boondoggle project that needs scrapped.
New Mexico is awash in some of the most intense sunlight in the US; why the heck are they not going solar like mad? Every last warehouse and every last flat topped roof in NM should be covered in PV cells the way so. cal. edison is doing, and the deserts should be utilized for solar thermal plants.
This points out the need for Congress to specifically adress the issue of carbon dioxide emissions. Though the Suprime Court has recently found that the EPA should consider CO2, apparently the laws that the EPA operates under don't specifically require that they do, being written with smog control in mind and CO@ doesn't contribute to smog. Voluntary schemes won't work, got to have required CO2 control. Maybe the next President will be able to get something useful regarding climate change through Congress. DB
How many wind turbines and solar cells will $3 billion dollars buy? How much power would that generate?
The good news is, coal would be easy to replace. We can even replace coal with a fossil fuel burning plant and still reduce the effects of greenhouse gas warming.
The Navajo nation is starved for jobs. That is what allows the plundering of the Navajo and the environment, and indirectly all of us---much of the fossil fuels are taken from publicly owned lands.
This land is his land (George)
This land is their land (energy lobby)
From the Staten Island
To the Redwood Forest
( well, at least where the Redwoods used to be)
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With so much buzz going on in the Carbon Capture and Storage technology, I guess the government is going to give a loose hand to heavy CO2 emitters.
There are reports that the industry people are trying hard to figure some way of storing CO2 underground. So I guess that's what the coal industry would be hoping for instead of taxes and cap-and-trade.
With so much buzz going on in the Carbon Capture and Storage technology, I guess the government is going to give a loose hand to heavy CO2 emitters.
There are reports that the industry people are trying hard to figure some way of storing CO2 underground. So I guess that's what the coal industry would be hoping for instead of taxes and cap-and-trade.
It is ridiculous that a coal-fired power plant is being pushed in one of most solar energy rich states in the US. New Mexico (and the rest of the world) deserves better than burning even more fossil fuels that pollute the air and water.