Power plant to face greater scrutiny
The Environmental Protection Agency is setting up to take a big bite out of Four Corners pollution. The agency recently announced supplemental regulations to better enforce the Clean Air Act in Indian country. While the new rules apply broadly to reservations around the country, they should enable the EPA to further tighten the noose on emissions from the nearby Four Corners Power Plant, one of the nation’s most notorious polluters.
Last month, the agency finalized rules that will ensure that polluters located on Indian reservations are not exempt from the Clean Air Act. “These actions will limit harmful pollutants, provide the health protections tribal families deserve and allow for an open and transparent permitting process,” said Gina McCarthy, assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation. “The actions also bring clean air permitting programs for Indian country in line with state and federal programs.”

The Four Corners Power Plant is a 50-year-old, coal-fired facility located not far from Farmington on the Navajo Nation. The plant also has the dubious honor of being the nation’s largest single source of smog-causing nitrogen oxides. The new regulations should bring the plant under greater scrutiny, according to Mike Eisenfeld, of the San Juan Citizens Alliance.
“Theoretically, these new rules will allow the EPA to assert greater authority over tribal lands,” he said. “We hope this will provide another tool that the agency can utilize to reduce emissions at the Four Corners Power Plant.”

The EPA is currently fighting an uphill battle to reduce nitrogen-oxide emissions and see Best Available Retrofit Technology (BART) installed at the plant. The plan would reduce NOx, the primary component of smog which leads to the creation of ground-level ozone and can trigger adverse health effects. The EPA hopes to reduce NOx emissions from the current 45,000 tons per year to 5,800 tons, but Arizona Public Service, Four Corners’ majority owner favors alternate solutions. San Juan Citizens Alliance welcomes reductions in emissions as well as a variety of other fixes at the plant.

“While the Navajo Nation is a sovereign entity, they still have to adhere to federal laws,” Eisenfeld said. “Ultimately, the EPA has the responsibility to set the tone on this issue and the fact is that 50-year-old coal-fired power plants are no longer viable energy sources.”

Meanwhile, the EPA is trying to get another Four Corners polluter to clean up its act. The agency has proposed a plan to reduce emissions by 80 percent at the 40-year-old San Juan Generating Station, which is also located just outside Farmington and not far from the Four Corners Power Plant.

9-R superintendent resigns his post
The Durango School District is again without leadership. Last week, 9-R’s Board of Education accepted the resignation of Superintendent Keith Owen. Owen is stepping down in order to take a job as Associate Commissioner at the Colorado Department of Education.

Owen has served as Durango School District 9-R’s superintendent for the past three years and will now move on to oversee the state’s special education programs, federal programs, support for local school districts and accountability systems.

“With the Colorado Department of Education’s increasing responsibilities in improving education, it was critical for us to hire an education professional with solid experience in increasing performance,” said Colorado Commissioner of Education Robert Hammond.  “I’m so pleased aKeith has agreed to take on the responsibilities as a part of our new team. He is highly regarded by his peers for his leadership in rural education issues and his depth of understanding of academic research and implementation.”

Owen was credited with initiating the development and implementation of the district’s Strategic Plan, which created specific steps for moving toward becoming a “district of excellence.”  
“This is a bittersweet time for me,” Owen said.  “While I am excited to accept this new position and undertake its challenges, I am finding it very difficult to leave the district.  There is no place like Durango, and I am grateful to have had the opportunity to serve the district and this great community.”
The board has already started the process of replacing Owen.

Local slalom boater takes on world
A Durango boater has paddled his way into World Cup competition in Europe. Zach “Bug” Lokken, 17, is currently competing against the world’s best slalom boaters in the 2011 ICF World Cup Series. The races kicked off in Tacen, Slovenia, on June 24 and continued in L’Argentiere la Bessee, France on July 1-3. Lokken will make two more stops before the conclusion of the series.
In the French race, Lokken qualified for the semifinal, finishing in 27th place. He set a personal record in the second heat, but a missed gate knocked him out of contention for the Top 10 and a spot in the final round.
“I’m really proud of Zach for making his first semifinals while still being a junior-eligible athlete,” said National Slalom Coach Silvan Poberaj. “This is a great step in the right direction for him.”

Lokken will continue to paddle in the right direction in coming weeks. The third of four World Cup stops is set for this weekend, July 8-10, in Markeeberg, Germany. The World Cup final will be held in Prague, Czech Republic, on Aug. 12-14.
 
D&SNG works to go ‘Totally Green’
The Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad is taking additional steps to green its local operation. The railroad recently purchased the ORCA Green Machine™, a rapid compost accelerator manufactured by Totally Green Inc., in an effort to reduce its and Durango’s waste stream.

Using microorganisms, the machine composts up to 600 pounds of food waste per day into a nutrient-rich grey water. The railroad plans to partner with local restaurants in an effort to feed the ORCA and reduce the local landfill load.

“The railroad strives to be the best in our ongoing sustainability initiatives,” said Al Harper, D&SNG president. “We are committed to staying on the leading edge by embracing environmentally friendly practices. Adopting Totally Green’s technology is another way we can make a difference for our community.”

– Will Sands