Tri-State Coal Monster

Even though we know that burning more coal will destroy the lungs of children and seniors, contaminate our water with mercury and other toxins, and fuel the disaster of global climate change, Tri-State Generation and Transmission is moving forward to burn more coal in Colorado and the surrounding region.

This is scary.

Tri-State is already one of Colorado's largest polluters. The amount of nitrogen oxides annually released by it's coal burning power plant in Craig, Colorado equals the amount released by nearly 2,000,000 cars. Nitrogen oxides not only contribute to acid rain, but react with sunlight to form smog.

Despite Tri-State's dubious distinction, it wants to burn more coal at its Craig power plant. The proposal, which is open for public comment right now, would lead to increases in toxic carbon monoxide gases and fine particulates that are small enough to reach the bottoms of our lungs.

And unfortunately, Tri-State doesn't want to stop there. In addition to burning more coal at Craig, Tri-State is proposing to build three new coal burning power plants in Kansas and southeastern Colorado. That's three new and huge sources of acid rain, smog, carbon dioxide, mercury....well, you see the grim picture.

Tri-State claims it needs to meet increasing power demand. Rocky Mountain Clean Air Action will be the first to say that meeting power demand shouldn't come at the expense of our lungs, our air, our water, and our future. This is not an acceptable sacrifice.

Besides, Tri-State has a myriad of alternative energy sources available. Already, wind is being harnessed in southeastern Colorado to generate power. There's no reason Tri-State can't do the same.

A wind farm near Lamar, Colorado.

Sadly though, Tri-State has rejected pleas to invest in renewable energy. This raises a serious question. Is Tri-State really looking to generate more power or is the company simply a coal monster terrorizing our clean air and our communities?