Rep. Salazar Opposes Desert Rock Power Plant

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today Rep. John Salazar submitted the following letter outlining his opposition to the Desert Rock Power Plant.

October 9, 2007

Dear Ms. Yazzie,

I want to first thank your agency and the Secretary of Interior for an extended EIS comment period.

The proposed Desert Rock Power Plant has aroused serious concern among my constituents and local elected officials in southwest Colorado.  Resolutions opposing Desert Rock have been passed by the counties of La Plata and San Miguel as well as the towns of Mancos, Cortez, Durango, and Dolores, in addition to the Ute Mountain Ute tribe and the Western Caucus of Colorado Counties Incorporated.

I share their concerns and oppose the plant as it is currently proposed. I believe that the four corners air shed is already overloaded with significant pollutants due largely to the two existing coal fired power plants in Northern New Mexico. A major new source of emissions as proposed by Desert Rock is simply unacceptable.

I urge the proponents of the Desert Rock power plant to go back to the drawing board and consider better options for energy development in the four corners.  Coal based power is moving towards more promising and innovative technologies such as IGCC with its low emissions and ability to sequester carbon. The proponents of Desert Rock claim that IGCC technology cannot be built at this altitude. Those claims ring somewhat hollow in light of the fact that both Excel in Colorado and the Wyoming Infrastructure Authority are working to bring IGCC plants online in high altitude regions. An IGCC plant could garner significant public support as well as major tax incentives.

In its 1997 report to Congress the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) noted that of all the pollutants covered under the Clean Air Act, mercury has the greatest potential to impact human health including a particular danger to pregnant women and young children. Air quality monitoring at Mesa Verde National Park has shown extremely high levels of mercury as has monitoring at Vallecito Reservoir in La Plata County. The United States Geological Service has found that elevated mercury levels in Southwest Colorado are from air borne-deposition into the lakes and reservoirs. Air flow modeling studies done by the National Park Service show that existing power plants already vent their emissions into Southwest Colorado’s air shed, a problem that will grow with emissions from Desert Rock.

Proponents of Desert Rock stated that the plant would be “the cleanest coal-fired power plant to ever be permitted by the EPA, and emissions will be negligible” in the Durango Herald on July 4, 2007.  The draft EIS shows this is clearly not the case in regards to mercury as it admits that around 161 pounds of mercury will be released from the plant each year.  I cannot support subjecting my constituents to additional exposure when mercury levels in Southwest Colorado are already elevated.

Additionally, the elevated levels of ground level ozone in the Four Corners region is a major concern to me. Much of this problem can be traced to the existing power plants in the region and would be exacerbated by another large power plant. The American Lung Association has noted that children, senior citizens and people with respiratory illnesses are particularly at risk when ozone levels rise. The EPA has noted that breathing ozone can reduce lung function, aggravate asthma and other respiratory conditions and may contribute to premature death in people with heart and lung disease. Data from a Forest Service monitoring station outside of Bayfield Colorado has shown some alarming levels of ozone.

Non-attainment on ozone would place an enormous strain on local communities in southwest Colorado as they work to come back into compliance with the Clean Air Act. I highly doubt that the owners of the Desert Rock plant would then be willing to help bring Southwest Colorado back into compliance. The new emissions from Desert Rock could place an enormous financial burden on Southwest Colorado.

Finally, the issue of Desert Rock’s carbon dioxide emissions (12.7 million tons annually) is also of great concern to me.  An IGCC plant could drastically decrease carbon dioxide emissions. Building a new coal fired power plant that will be a major source of carbon dioxide will worsen air quality in Southwest Colorado and that is simply not acceptable.

The Desert Rock plant has unacceptable impacts on Southwest Colorado and I oppose its approval as currently proposed. I thank you for the chance to submit comments on this project and ask that you take my concerns into account as your agency moves forwards.  Please don’t hesitate to contact me or my staff if you have any questions or concerns.

                                                            Sincerely,

                                                            /JTS

                                                            John T. Salazar