EPA rules Ariz. power plants must upgrade

http://www.bensonnews-sun.com ^ | november 18, 2012

[lowbridge]

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency met a deadline Thursday on a plan to control emissions from three Arizona power plants that it contends have impaired visibility at places like the Grand Canyon.

The Associated Press reports that the EPA had proposed approving Arizona's air-quality plan to reduce sulfur dioxide and soot at the Apache coal-fired plant in Cochise, along with the Cholla and Coronado plants. But when it came to nitrogen oxide emissions, the EPA suggested the state's plan didn't go far enough and came up with one of its own.

The conflict highlights the tension between the EPA and businesses after an election season in which the notion of heavy-handed environmental regulations became a popular argument for Republican candidates. Arizona and the administration of Republican Gov. Jan Brewer contend the EPA's proposals would cost hundreds of millionsof dollars, causing utility rates to sharply increase for residents.

Instead of low nitrogen-oxide burners, the EPA hinted it might require that some of plants' older units be equipped with selective catalytic reduction technology to keep 17,000 tons nitrogen oxide from being released into the air and causing visibility issues at 18 national parks and wilderness areas.

[yoe]

If Obama can’t get us, the EPA will! Isn’t that stuff in the canyon blowing in from CA?

[AZamericonnie]

Figures....face it, we’re in the crosshairs. *sigh*

[SandRat]

Isn’t sad?

[SandRat]

Isn’t it sad?

[CodeToad]

The EPA is shutting down power plants all over the place. I believe they have target not less than 200.

Is it time yet?

[FreedomPoster]

I hope if they are forced to shut down it causes power shortages and brownouts / blackouts in California.

[FreedomPoster]

You are spot on. The American economic system is built on cheap energy and low regulation. Obama is working diligently to kill all that.

[AZHSer]

One of the targeted plants is our own SSVEC plant in near Wilcox. We went to the public comment meeting and there were over 300 people there to protest this action. The EPA admits there will be no discernable improvement to the “haze”.
This has long reaching effects. First, as a co-op, SSVEC is going to have to dramatically increase their rates, or shut down. The estimated cost to do the upgrades the EPA wants is over $8 million dollars plus an annual maintenance cost of over $1 million. They are already in the midst of a costly upgrade but EPA says it is not enough. Second, most of the coal for our plant comes a coal field in Wyoming. My husband's nephew is a foreman there. They have been told if this goes through, they will shut down in two years. All those mine jobs plus the railroad jobs (they just finished a second line) that get the coal down here. Gone.

[SandRat]

All thanks to EnviroNutties, Libs, DemocRATS, and O-Pharaoh-Bama.

It's been said before to a Pharaoh of old, but I'll say it again,

"LET MY PEOPLE GO!!"