Four Corners' Air at Risk from Coal Burning Power Plant

A new coal burning power plant proposed for northwestern New Mexico threatens to increase mercury contamination in streams, increase acid rain, and increase smog pollution throughout the four corners region. To boot, an article in the Durango Herald reports that the proposed Desert Rock power plant has no support in Colorado.

At a public meeting held to discuss the future of air quality in the four corners, no one in attendance supported the power plant. The Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) Colleen McKaughan even stated at the hearing, "It looks like we need to go back and look again at nitrogen oxides and ozone concentrations." The EPA is proposing to issue the permit for the power plant to be built and to pollute our skies.



Hopefully for the people of the four corners region, the mercury, acid rain, and smog that threatens to come from the Desert Rock power plant will never come online. Many groups, including Dine CARE and San Juan Citizens' Alliance, are working to make sure this happens.