Local economy ranked best in nation
The Great Recession may be a thing of the past for Durango. La Plata County was recently ranked as having the strongest micropolitan economy in the nation by the POLICOM Corporation.

POLICOM is a Florida-based company that has released “economic strength rankings” every year since 1997. The company considers 23 different economic factors over a 20-year period to determine how individual economies behave. Data stretching from 1990 - 2009 was used for this study.

For 2011, Durango rose to the top of the nation’s 576 micropolitan areas, which are smaller economies with populations smaller than 50,000 people. They are typically one county and their economies fluctuate much more than the larger metropolitan areas, according to POLICOM.

“The top-rated areas have had rapid, consistent growth in both size and quality for an extended period of time,” said William H. Fruth, President of POLICOM. “The rankings do not reflect the latest hotspot or boom town, but the areas which have the best economic foundation. While most communities have slowed or declined during this recession, the strongest areas have been able to weather the storm.”

Helena, Mont., took the second slot for micropolitan areas and Gillette, Wyo., followed in third. Edwards was the next best-ranked Colorado community, cracking the top 10 in ninth position.

EPA cracks down on area power plant
One of the Four Corners biggest polluters is in line for a make-over. Last week, the Environmental Protection Agency announced new rules that will require “modern controls” for the San Juan Generating Station. Not surprisingly, Public Service Co. of New Mexico (PNM), the power plant’s owner, has objected to the new ruling and is already planning an appeal.

Located just west of Farmington, the San Juan Generating Station has been burning coal to generate electricity for more than 40 years. The plant also produces 16,000 tons of smog-causing nitrogen oxide emissions each year and is ranked as the ninth dirtiest coal-fired plant in the West. Nitrogen oxide not only creates haze, it is a primary ingredient in ground-level ozone, “the most widespread pollutant in the United State (and) one of the most dangerous,” according to the American Lung Association. Ozone has been linked with asthma attacks, respiratory problems, lung damage and premature death.

The EPA rule announced last Thursday will require the addition of selective catalytic reduction (SCR) pollution controls on the plant’s four boilers in the next five years. The upgrade is expected to cut nitrogen oxide emissions by 80 percent. The announcement is also a landmark and the EPA’s first federal plan in the country to limit nitrogen oxide emissions under the Clean Air Act. Watchdogs and conservationists hailed the move as a victory.

“We are pleased that EPA has done right in this precedent setting rule-making for the communities adversely affected by continued reliance on energy export coal-derived electricity,” said Mike Eisenfeld, of San Juan Citizens Alliance. “The true costs of relying on coal are coming to bear, and PNM is being held accountable for their pollution.”

The State of New Mexico and PNM take a dimmer view and had been lobbying for a different approach to pollution control at the San Juan Generating Station. However, their plan would have cut nitrogen oxide emissions by just 20 percent. The company is now arguing that the EPA’s plan will be an undue burden on New Mexico customers and is planning to appeal the decision.

“The EPA plan adds unnecessary costs to one of our lowest-cost sources of reliable power,” said Pat Themig, PNM vice president of generation. “If it stands, it will lead to significantly higher future electric rates for the 2 million customers who rely on the plant for reasonably priced power.”

Themig added that the EPA plan will require expenditures in excess of $750 million, while PNM’s would have cost just $77 million. The State of New Mexico concurred and in June approved the lower cost option at San Juan.

“The Clean Air Act gives each state the authority to implement a regional haze program appropriate for the state, and New Mexico exercised this authority when it approved its own plan in June,” Themig said. “EPA’s decision does not relieve it of legal responsibility to fully consider New Mexico’s plan.”

Eisenfeld countered that Themig’s argument is beside the point and argued that the company should be exploring 21st century technology and abandoning its reliance on coal-fired power.

“PNM could be transitioning to more sustainable energy forms in the Four Corners region that more readily reflect current renewable energy technologies rather than retrofitting 1970s archaic coal plants at continued high cost to our communities,” he said.  

Donna House, of Diné CARE, a Navajo conservation organization, agreed. “Pollution from this plant has been hurting our communities for generations,” she said. “Cutting coal pollution is a must, and moving to a cleaner energy than coal is the real answer.”

Durango cyclists selected for Worlds
Durango is again pedaling at the top of the planet. Numerous local mountain bikers have been selected to ride on the U.S. National Team at the UCI World Championships in Champery, Switzerland, in early September.

As the winner of the elite men’s cross-country race at the 2011 cross-country nationals, Durango’s Todd Wells (Specialized) earned one of four automatic nominations to the squad. Wells will also see several familiar Durango faces during the upcoming race. As the junior national mountain bike champions, Howard Grotts (Durango Devo) and AliciaRose Pastore (Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory DEVO Sweet Elite) also earned spots on the team. Grotts currently sits in fourth among junior men while Pastore is third among junior women in the UCI’s World Cup rankings. Durango’s Kaila Hart (Fort Lewis College) also made the cut and will be riding in the women’s U23 as a discretionary selection.

In addition, the U.S. team will also feature one trials rider, Durango’s Ryder Okumura (Durango Devo). Okumura competed in the 2003 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships as a junior and qualified for the worlds a few weeks ago during a trials comp in Tennessee.

Bulb exchange to aid Annie’s Orphans
Old bulbs can help La Plata County’s needy dogs. La Plata Electric Association and Durango Mountain Resort have teamed up to help community members reduce their energy costs, while also helping warm the pups at Annie’s Orphans, the nonprofit sanctuary for abandoned, neglected and abused dogs.

Through Sept. 30, the DMR office in Centennial Center will accept new or used, working incandescent light bulbs to be donated to Annie’s Orphans. For each incandescent bulb presented, donors will receive an energy efficient compact fluorescent light bulb, courtesy of LPEA.

“At Annie’s Orphans we use the incandescent light bulbs to provide heat in the dog houses during the winter months,” said Jola Schraub, Annie’s Orphans volunteer and DMR staff member. “When we learned that incandescents were no longer going to be produced after 2012, we started collecting bulbs. We’re hoping to delay spending our much needed funds on alternative heating solutions for the dogs.”

Light bulbs can be exchanged at the DMR Bodo Park office (next to Office Depot) Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m., and there is no limit to the number of bulbs. For further information regarding the exchange, contact Schraub at 426-7242.
– Will Sands