Aug. 13
The owner and operator of a coal-fired power plant in St. Johns, Ariz.,
will install air pollution controls at an estimated cost of $400 million and
pay a $950,000 civil penalty to settle a Clean Air Act complaint filed by
the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Justice Department.
The Salt River Project Agricultural Improvement and Power District, also
known as SRP, has agreed to install pollution control equipment on both
generating units at its Coronado Generating Station. The controls will
reduce combined emissions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides by 21,000
tons annually.
SRP will install flue gas desulfurization devices -- known as scrubbers --
at both units and selective catalytic reduction controls at one of the
units.
In addition, SRP will spend $4 million on environmentally beneficial
projects to reduce air emissions and mitigate the impacts of the alleged
violations.
The projects include:
- Installing additional pollution control equipment on public school bus
diesel engines in the Phoenix metropolitan area
- Installing solar photovoltaic panels on school buildings in Arizona and
funding the maintenance of the panels for at least 10 years
- Offering incentives to residential homeowners, such as rebates, toward the
replacement of pre-1988 wood stoves with cleaner burning, energy-efficient
stoves or hearth appliances.
In a complaint that the government filed with lodging the consent decree,
the EPA and the Justice Department claimed that the utility illegally
modified the two units at the plant, thereby increasing air pollution.
Specifically, the government cited the utility for failing to obtain
necessary pre-construction permits and install required pollution control
equipment.
The settlement was part of the EPA´s enforcement initiative to control
harmful emissions from coal-fired power plants under the Clean Air Act´s New
Source Review requirements. The proposed consent decree will be lodged with
the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona, and will be subject to
a 30-day public comment period.
Information on the settlement is available online at
www.usdoj.gov/enrd/open.html
.
Contact Waste News senior reporter Bruce Geiselman at (330) 865-6172 or
bgeiselman@crain.com
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