Environmental Debate: Clean Air Vs. Jobs
Written by: Admin
The Four Corners Power Plant is one of the largest coal-fired generating stations in the United States located in Fruitland, N.M. The plant is operated by Arizona Public Service Co. (APS). The plant has total five units generating total 2,040 megawatts and powering around 300,000 households in New Mexico, Arizona, California and Texas.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has received petition from environmental advocacy group to implement strict pollution control upgrades at the Four Corners Power Plant. The goal is to reduce emissions of haze-causing pollutants, including nitrogen oxides and particulate matter in the vicinity of the plant. The estimated cost of upgrades at the plant range from $500 million to reduce at least 30 percent of the pollution to $1.06 billion upgrade to reduce as much as 90 percent of haze-causing pollutants.
Although APS recognizes the benefits of upgrades at the plant, the company is concerned that higher upgrade costs could force shutting down portion of the plant, resulting in loss of 300 jobs at the area plant and affecting additional coal mining jobs at the San Juan Mine.
According the EPA, the agency is in the process of reviewing 6,700 submitted public comments on the issue and drafting the proposal of potential improvements at the plant. While the agency is busy, we like to know your views on the issue.
Do you think the EPA should ask the APS to implement the expensive improvements to improve the air quality at the expense of potentially job loss?
Please post your comments here!
Sources: Daily-Times , PNM
