RSS FeedCOMMISSIONER VOICES OPPOSITION TO CDEC’S CAMPAIGN
  
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“Our issue is not emission control,” said Past President of the New Mexico Mining Association and Cibola County resident Terri Fletcher. “The issue is the authority of this board. Does the board have the power to create law? The regulations they are considering should be considered at the federal level.” According to Fletcher, the mining association joined other industry groups in a lawsuit debating the power of the Environmental Improvement Board.
Richardson, on the contrary, continues to direct New Mexico in efforts to lead the nation to advance climate change initiatives. “Climate change is the most critical environmental issue of our time,” Richardson said recently. “States will always have an important role to play in climate change policy, and New Mexico continues to act - not just talk . . . ” In December 2009, Richardson signed new executive orders that directed new emission reduction strategies to address climate change in the state and which may ultimately influence the EI board's decision to set a new statewide cap on greenhouse gas emissions.
The cap, if enacted, calls for emissions to be 25 percent below 1990 levels by 2020.
The cap, according Continental Divide Electric Cooperative officials, will affect the state's economy in a negative way. “The result would be the loss of many jobs and higher electricity bills,” said CDEC Manager Richard Shirley.
Shirley and other co-op officials are asking for support from officials from the City of Grants, Village of Milan and Cibola County, in opposing the petition for a new emissions cap. Last week, the county acted and passed in support of CDEC's efforts despite a request from Commissioner Lloyd Felipe that the item be tabled so he can voice his opinion on the issue. Felipe was unable to make the meeting because of the weather, as he is an Acoma resident.
“Do we sacrifice air quality for jobs?” Felipe asked the Beacon this week. “I called Eddie (Michael, county commission chairman) and asked the item be tabled as many of the residents of the county are Native American Indian and we are concerned about the environment,” said Felipe. “The greenhouse gas emissions do not impact the environment in a good way. The issue to some is jobs, not the environment. And, I don't believe the industry has taken its measures to protect the environment as suggested by the state. Today, I would not vote in support of CDEC.”
Felipe went on to say that Cibola County residents are fortunate to reside in a beautiful state that is rich in natural resources and clean air. “We live in a beautiful state and we need to protect it,” Felipe concluded.
City of Grants workshop
At the City of Grants workshop on Feb. 17, the mayor and three council members spoke in support of CDEC's efforts to oppose the petition for a new cap. Councilor Ron Ortiz remained silent about the issue. “The Governor appointed this board and it is top heavy of environmental lobbyists,” CDEC representative Macario Juarez told the council. “Of the 750 petitions we have opposing the cap, 250 of them are from Grants residents. The people of this community have spoken,” said Juarez.
“Things are tough as it is. I will wholeheartedly support CDEC and I want it on the agenda for Tuesday,” said Mayor Joe Murrietta. “I want a resolution in support of CDEC.” The Village of Milan was expected to vote on its resolution last night. Results were not available as of press time.
A public hearing on new cap is being held in Santa Fe on March 1. For place and time, call the Grants/Cibola County Chamber of Commerce 287-4802.
Would state regulation apply to power plant on Navajo land?
One item that often arises at discussions on state emissions regulation is if a new cap is passed, it will not apply to a power plant on Navajo land west of Farmington. Cibola County Commissioner Lloyd Felipe said that obviously the Navajos choose to have the power plant on their land, however, “In Acoma, we choose not to,” he said.
As the new cap is being considered by the Environmental Impact Board, conservation groups on Wednesday asked federal agencies to require the region's heaviest-polluting power plant to take measures to reduce its emissions. Environmental groups claim the Four Corners Power Plant, operated by Arizona Public Service, often causes a layer of haze to form over Mesa Verde National Park and other wilderness areas in Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and Arizona.
“This plant, for whatever reason, has escaped a lot of the controls that other big old coal-fired power plants have been subject to over the years,” said Janette Brimmer, a staff attorney with EarthJustice, one of the groups petitioning the Departments of Interior and Agriculture to take action against the plants. In addition to ruining the view, Brimmer said pollution from the plant can also have an adverse impact on public health.
According to a New Mexico News Connection press release, APS argues that, while the plant meets or exceeds current regulatory requirements for air emissions, the partners are willing to install the latest technology of combustion controls. However, a proposed EPA rule that would require a higher level of reduction for nitrous oxides would cost more than $1 billion and could force the partners to shut down three generating units, resulting in up to 450 jobs being lost at the plant and nearby mine, according to APS.
Comments
anonymous wrote on Feb 26, 2010 4:21 PM:
anonymous wrote on Feb 25, 2010 11:30 AM:
Why should he be excused for missing so many meetings? I was able to drive on I-40 the night of the commission meeting with no problems, so that's no excuse. What was his excuse for missing the previous 3 meetings prior? "
No nonsense wrote on Feb 24, 2010 8:03 PM:
EPA created a Technical Support Document (TSD) dated December 7th, 2009 as their scientific basis to support their endangerment findings for global warming. In my reading of the TSD, EPA admits that it has relied heavily on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) which in turn relied on the University of East Anglia’s Climatic Research Unit (CRU). The CRU is currently under investigation for possible scientific fraud and questionable research conducted to establish the scientific basis for global warming. The raw data sets used to establish the CRU’s findings have apparently been deliberately hidden or destroyed. The EPA TSD must contain all scientific information to support its own findings. With no raw data to support the CRU’s research, and EPA uses this as a basis for the TSD, then the TSD itself cannot be supported scientifically.
Good, sound science should be conducted first before committing trillions of dollars on a problem that may not even exist at all.
Bottom line: New Energy Economy relies on the IPCC for a scientific basis for enacting a carbon emissions cap, yet this foundation appears to be flawed. "
anonymous wrote on Feb 24, 2010 2:22 PM:
Response to Anonymous wrote on Feb 24, 2010 7:23 AM:
anonymous wrote on Feb 22, 2010 4:51 PM:
i agree wrote on Feb 22, 2010 4:43 PM:
Disgusted wrote on Feb 19, 2010 3:19 PM:
Response to Concerned Citizen that would vote for Felipe wrote on Feb 19, 2010 2:58 PM:
We live in a country with incredible amounts of environmental regulation. We have clean water, and clean air. And we have it at the same time that we enjoy a higher standard of living than any other country in the world.
It would be ludicrous for industries such as coal fired power plants to be shut down. What would our standard of living be then? Would we enjoy the economic benefits that we now have as a result of the power produced?
The power plant near Prewitt has employed a lot of people in this area with good paying jobs and excellent benefits. People like Mr. Felipe would take us back a hundred years in economic and social development if they were to get their way in shutting down not only our sources of electricity, but also those that will ultimately make our economy grow. "
Spell Checker wrote on Feb 19, 2010 2:33 PM:
Concerned citizen wrote on Feb 19, 2010 11:14 AM:
Concerned Citizen wrote on Feb 19, 2010 7:19 AM:
Concerned Citizen wrote on Feb 19, 2010 7:14 AM: