All News Releases By Date

Power plan permit proposed on Navajo

Release Date: 07/19/2006
Contact Information: Wendy Chavez, 415/947-4248, [email protected]

(San Francisco, Calif. -- 07/19/2006) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today proposed its clean air permit for the new 1,500 megawatt Desert Rock power plant located on the Navajo Nation, approximately 30 miles south of Shiprock, New Mex. near the Four Corners area.

“The EPA's proposed permit will require the best pollution controls available for a pulverized coal-burning power plant, and will limit air pollution emissions from the facility to levels that protect public health and the environment,” said Deborah Jordan, the EPA’s air programs director for the Pacific Southwest region. “We encourage Navajo Nation residents and other interested citizens to learn about the proposal and participate in the comment process.”

The EPA will formally publish a public notice in the Farmington Daily Times and The Navajo Times in a few weeks, which begins a public comment period that will end on October 27. In September, the EPA will also host informational public workshops about the proposed permit for Navajo Nation residents and nearby communities, and will return in October for a formal public hearing.

The emission limits required by the EPA’s proposed permit for the Desert Rock power plant, planned by Sithe Global, Inc. and the Navajo Nation, are some of the most stringent in the country and would set a new level of performance for coal-fired plants in the United States.

The EPA’s proposed federal permit for the Desert Rock power plant is based on analyzing the best air pollution controls available to limit the release of pollutants like sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and fine particulate pollutants, and detailed technical studies to ensure that pollution levels safeguard public health and the environment.

To review a copy of the proposed permit and other related documents, please visit the EPA Web site at: https://www.epa.gov/region09/air/permit/desertrock/. Once confirmed, the EPA will also post to its Web site the dates and locations of public workshops and the public hearing.