Xcel Greenwash

Perhaps the headline, "Environmentalist outlines air quality issues," is sign enough, but an article in the Craig Daily Press today seems more like an effort to greenwash Xcel Energy.

Gary Magno with Xcel Energy, which owns a majority of the large coal burning power plants in Colorado, gave a presentation to the Northwest Colorado Energy Producers Association. Magno doesn't seem to be much of an environmentalist. According to the article, Magno commented that the majority of mercury emissions in Colorado come from foreign countries, like China.

Let's put this into perspective. Xcel Energy releases 570 pounds of mercury a year in Colorado, more than half that released by all the coal burning power plants. Together, all coal burning power plants are estimated to release nearly 900 pounds of mercury a year in Colorado. Estimates by the state indicate that approximately 40% of all mercury released in Colorado stays in Colorado. That means 360 pounds of mercury released by coal burning power plants, including 228 pounds released by Xcel, can contaminate Colorado's water.

The simple fact that Xcel releases 570 pounds of mercury every year is a frightening statistic, especially given that it accumulates in the water we drink, play in, and eat fish from. Xcel can point the finger to China all they want, but the fact is they're spewing the neurotoxin from their own smokestacks here in Colorado at the same time. We need less mercury, not more double standards.