Power plant cited for ‘major’ violations
A few weeks ago, the Environmental Protection Agency called for “modern controls” at the nearby San Juan Generating Station. Last week, the power plant’s owner quietly paid fines for six “major” violations. At the same time, Public Service Co. of New Mexico (PNM) prepared to appeal the EPA mandate.

Located just west of Farmington and owned and operated by PNM, 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 9th dirtiest coal-fired plant in the West.

The EPA rule announced in early August requires the addition of selective catalytic reduction (SCR) controls on the plant’s four boilers over the next five years, and the upgrade is expected to cut nitrogen oxide emissions by 80 percent. However, there is also much more than nitrogen oxide pouring out of the stacks at the station.

In a brief two-sentence news release, the New Mexico Environment Department announced last week that PNM has agreed to pay a $125,000 civil penalty for six major pollution violations from the plant. Among the pollutants that were spilling into the Four Corners airshed during 2009-10 was excess carbon monoxide. The remaining “major” violations were for various particulates.

The violations were significant for a variety of reasons. First, the excesses occurred after PNM’s last round of upgrades in 2009, which were intended to curb emissions. Second, a total of 94 days elapsed between the time PNM was given notice and rectified the problems, meaning the fine should have been more than $1 million. Last, several of the violations were extreme, and readings were two to three times higher than what is allowed under the Clean Air Act.

“The question at hand is who bears responsibility for this problem,” said Mike Eisenfeld, of San Juan Citizens Alliance. “We believe that PNM has a responsibility to install the best technology possible, and that they are responsible for producing the cleanest energy possible.”

However, the company has a different take on coal-fired power. While mum is the word on the recent violations, PNM is actively preparing its appeal of the EPA’s call for pollution controls and alleging that upgrades would be too onerous for its ratepayers. “The EPA plan adds unnecessary costs to one of our lowest-cost sources of reliable power,” said Pat Themig, PNM vice president. “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 PNM has an alternate plan for dealing with nitrogen oxide at the San Juan station. The EPA plan will require expenditures in excess of $750 million, while PNM’s would cost just $77 million. However, PNM’s plan will also only cut nitrogen oxide emissions by 20 percent. Eisenfeld countered that it is high time for the company to start behaving like a good neighbor.

“PNM argues that they should not bear the costs of pollution controls,” Eisenfeld said. “At what point do we as a society stop carrying their burden in the form of health costs and polluted skies?”

Fort Lewis completes Student Union
Fort Lewis College cuts the ribbon on “the students’ building” next week. After several years in the works, the $40.5 million Student Union officially opens Sept. 6. Grand opening events will run through Sept. 8 and are open to the public.

Highlighting the first day of the grand opening will be the ribbon cutting and commemoration of the Union’s 39,000-square-foot addition’s LEED Gold certification, which recognizes high environmental standards, at noon Sept. 6. During that day, many of the Student Union’s sponsored areas will also be dedicated, including the Ballantine Media Center. The center is home to KDUR, The Independent, Images Literary Magazine and Intertribal News and will be dedicated with an open house celebration at 4 p.m.

“The Ballantine Media Center presents FLC students, faculty and staff a wonderful opportunity to learn about how to use media and to communicate in a variety of innovative ways,” FLC President Dene Kay Thomas said this spring.

For a schedule of the Student Union Grand Opening events, visit http://www2.fortlewis.edu/news/StudentUnionGrandOpening.aspx

Firefighters contain Sambrito 2 blaze
Wildfire season sparked back up in the region last week. Lightning triggered the Sambrito 2 fire in the HD Mountains east of Durango last Wednesday, but crews rapidly got the upper hand on the 535-acre blaze and contained it Monday.

The lack of strong winds over the weekend allowed firefighters to make progress on the blaze, and by Monday, a rough containment line surrounded the entire fire. A total of 210 firefighters and seven fire engines battled the blaze with the help of a single-engine air tanker and several helicopters.

However, smoke and fire could still be in the forecast for the region. On Saturday, several new lightning starts were reported in the vicinity of Durango.

The largest of these, the South and North Fires, had started west of Red Mesa. However, the fires totaled only 12 acres and were contained by press time.

Tourism office launches iPhone App
Durango is reaching out to the world through the smartphone. This week, the Durango Area Tourism Office launched an iPhone app in an effort to offer instant information accessibility to visitors. The app is available for free download at iTunes.

“Our Durango mobile app is like a handheld visitor center,” said John Cohen, executive director of DATO. “It brings instant access to information on what to do, where to go, what to see. It’s all at your fingertips right when you need it.”

The app is compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad and includes useful information on lodging, activities, calendar of events and attractions. The app also has location-aware GPS functionality that allows the user to map where they are in proximity to where they want to go. “They can wake up and see what to do, where to eat, what’s going on,” Cohen said.

Thinning resumes on Log Chutes Trails
Logging returned this week to the Log Chutes Trail System west of Durango. The thinning project will continue on 259 acres on the east side of Junction Creek Road throughout the fall.  

The trail system remains open, but heavy equipment will be cutting, skidding, decking and hauling timber in coming months. Signs will be posted alerting recreationists and certain trails may be temporarily closed while crews are working nearby.

The commercial timber harvest was designed to lower the risk of wildfire in the urban interface and is the third phase of a larger fuels-reduction project in the overall Junction Creek area approved following analysis in 2006.   
– Will Sands