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EPA’s hazy outlook threatens to bankrupt coal-fired power plants

NetRight Daily -- By Rebekah Rast — The nearly five million visitors to the Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona each year stare in awe at the canyon’s long 277 river miles that can be up to 18 miles wide and about a mile deep.

However, even amidst this beauty, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is focused on the haze in the national park and says it is coming from a very important electricity source in the area.

The Navajo Generating Station (NGS), a coal-fired power plant that supplies electricity for the 14 pumping stations required to move water to southern Arizona—to about 80 percent of the state’s population—is being blamed for creating poor air quality in the national park.

Currently, this power plant meets all federal clean air guidelines—except the EPA’s interpretation of the Regional Ha

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Submitted Aug 16, 2012 By: NedW

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honda0105 Champion Author Tallahassee Posts:18,650 Points:1,612,445 Joined:Nov 2008	Message Posted: Aug 21, 2012 6:04:49 AM Ignore honda0105 Report Abuse as for the Canyon, what good is a national attraction that brings tourist to the area if you can't see it or can't breathe. Aside from being injurious to the Native American population, but then, when has this country ever cared for the First Nations?
honda0105 Champion Author Tallahassee Posts:18,650 Points:1,612,445 Joined:Nov 2008	Message Posted: Aug 21, 2012 6:03:03 AM Ignore honda0105 Report Abuse JK: that's good news for a change.
JediKnight Champion Author Wisconsin Posts:4,848 Points:2,034,735 Joined:May 2004	Message Posted: Aug 18, 2012 3:32:00 PM Ignore JediKnight Report Abuse Milwaukee's Valley Coal Plant is getting an "upgrade" to Natural Gas... far overdue (it doesn't have current/modern pollution controls) and it's not going to bankrupt We Energies. It's a Win/Win.
puinsai808 Champion Author Honolulu Posts:3,559 Points:730,230 Joined:May 2011	Message Posted: Aug 17, 2012 10:20:47 AM Ignore puinsai808 Report Abuse Thank you Nobama.
drpepperTX Champion Author Texas Posts:8,964 Points:755,135 Joined:Apr 2011	Message Posted: Aug 17, 2012 9:10:58 AM Ignore drpepperTX Report Abuse Message Posted: Aug 16, 2012 8:31:53 PM by heysailor <"The utilities refuse to backfit the coal plants so they pollute less. Their excuse is that it's too expensive. What they mean is that they might have to cut dividends or executive compensation and that the investment won't pay for itself by next Wednesday. Personally, I'd rather see the other side of the Grand Canyon. Pig Business has never taken a step to pollute less unless it was forced to. We breathe better as a result of them being forced to.>" ======================== From the article, "Currently, this power plant meets all federal clean air guidelines—except the EPA’s interpretation of the Regional Haze Rule." So the plant is FULLY COMPLIANT but for an EPA interpretation??? The Obama/EPA war on coal continues.
carinthuist Champion Author San Francisco Posts:2,262 Points:333,075 Joined:Mar 2012	Message Posted: Aug 17, 2012 12:45:53 AM Ignore carinthuist Report Abuse terrible idea
LetemEatCake Champion Author Oklahoma City Posts:5,615 Points:1,207,555 Joined:Mar 2008	Message Posted: Aug 17, 2012 12:26:35 AM Ignore LetemEatCake Report Abuse Nsdp...not one Yankee believes that this country on the whole is in big trouble with this drought. They just turn on their faucets and water magically comes out. The West, the Southwest are in big trouble as we speak. Water rationing is happening now in many of these states.
Bretagne15 Rookie Author Louisville Posts:40 Points:59,065 Joined:Dec 2011	Message Posted: Aug 17, 2012 12:10:59 AM Ignore Bretagne15 Report Abuse ok
judgemobile Champion Author Ohio Posts:7,585 Points:2,448,060 Joined:Nov 2005	Message Posted: Aug 17, 2012 12:05:42 AM Ignore judgemobile Report Abuse Romney will get rid of useless bureaucrats and hacks known as EPA--vote REPUBLICAN.
Dragnet Champion Author Arizona Posts:15,422 Points:2,911,685 Joined:Jul 2004	Message Posted: Aug 17, 2012 12:05:26 AM Ignore Dragnet Report Abuse The haze is from California and the LA basin that blows right at the canyon. EPA can't even get that right.
firefly09 Champion Author San Diego Posts:2,502 Points:717,675 Joined:Mar 2009	Message Posted: Aug 17, 2012 12:04:20 AM Ignore firefly09 Report Abuse No surprise.
furiousfowl Champion Author Riverside Posts:16,870 Points:2,752,105 Joined:May 2005	Message Posted: Aug 17, 2012 12:02:46 AM Ignore furiousfowl Report Abuse Well that should not be a surprise.
melvindale Champion Author Michigan Posts:1,438 Points:351,230 Joined:Jun 2011	Message Posted: Aug 17, 2012 12:00:03 AM Ignore melvindale Report Abuse nsdp: Wow! Lots of good information. Thanks! Its way too easy to mislead people when nobody knows anything about the subject at hand.
melvindale Champion Author Michigan Posts:1,438 Points:351,230 Joined:Jun 2011	Message Posted: Aug 16, 2012 11:58:03 PM Ignore melvindale Report Abuse Reports of Doom and Gloom are misleading. They won't go bankrupt, that's not to say they won't file for bankruptcy. If the plant makes money they can easily afford to switch to natural gas. That switch would make them more profitable. However, in this part of the country neither make any sense whatsoever. Lets see, burn a lot of coal to generate a fair amount of electricity, but then lose half of it in lengthy transmission wires. In that part of the country, solar makes the most sense. Break up the power needed to 14 solar arrays to power 14 pumping stations. Then they can take down the transmission lines and sell them for a lot of money to offset the costs of decommissioning the coal plant.
Kawibiker Champion Author Illinois Posts:1,175 Points:205,575 Joined:May 2012	Message Posted: Aug 16, 2012 11:57:59 PM Ignore Kawibiker Report Abuse ok
drz614 Champion Author Harrisburg Posts:2,314 Points:601,145 Joined:Aug 2011	Message Posted: Aug 16, 2012 11:53:07 PM Ignore drz614 Report Abuse geee, u think? most people have no idea what it takes to generate electricity, much less put food in grocery stores. thank god for ignorant public school teachers
Shakleelady31 All-Star Author Fort Wayne Posts:571 Points:403,850 Joined:Jan 2012	Message Posted: Aug 16, 2012 11:49:16 PM Ignore Shakleelady31 Report Abuse Okay.
NHLiveFree Champion Author New Hampshire Posts:11,113 Points:1,625,315 Joined:Jun 2008	Message Posted: Aug 16, 2012 11:48:23 PM Ignore NHLiveFree Report Abuse Thanks once more for the far right wing editorial point of view fm this political blog NedW."NetRightDaily.com is a project of Americans for Limited Government. The project, launched in August of 2008 by Adam Bitely, seeks to bring you the best of the NetRight Blogosphere."
us4usa Champion Author Missouri Posts:6,003 Points:1,115,215 Joined:May 2008	Message Posted: Aug 16, 2012 11:48:18 PM Ignore us4usa Report Abuse Well maybe they can place wind mill all over, or fill the canyon with solar panels???
nsdp Champion Author San Antonio Posts:1,117 Points:47,340 Joined:Jun 2012	Message Posted: Aug 16, 2012 11:47:46 PM Ignore nsdp Report Abuse Amazing how dumb this reporter is. Water levels (lack thereof) in Lake Powell will do in these units before the clean air rules do. They have already had to lower the intakes for the cooling water 75 ft two years ago and now there won't be enough water to operate the entire plant through the winter season this year. Another dry winter and there won't be enough water in Lake Powell to run the condensers next summer especially if the Navajo tribe decides not to sell water to the plant. Right now you lose 1mw of hydro at Lake Powell and 1 mw of hydro at Lake Mead for every Mw generated at Navajo (cooling water evaporates doesn't return to the river to go through the hydro turbines). It takes a coal plant 1000 gallons of water to produce 1mw a natural gas u8nit needs 400 gallons. The plant is old and if you know where to look you can see the steam leaks from the water walls from the highway into Page.
NHLiveFree Champion Author New Hampshire Posts:11,113 Points:1,625,315 Joined:Jun 2008	Message Posted: Aug 16, 2012 11:43:56 PM Ignore NHLiveFree Report Abuse There is something drastically wrong when the huge output of the Glen Canyon Dam on the Colorado River and the Hoover Dam are not enough for the state and more. Perhaps the fact that much of it is wasted with a real conservation of energy plan missing that requires additional huge amounts of power from the huge dinosaur of a coal fired power plant like the Navajo Station. The EPA is doing a fine job to protect our health when it is endangered by all the big corporations that push the limits on spewing pollution simply to boost their profits at any price.
RAE344 Champion Author Virginia Beach Posts:3,081 Points:664,445 Joined:Jun 2011	Message Posted: Aug 16, 2012 11:41:40 PM Ignore RAE344 Report Abuse The EPA is single minded any way. They do what they are told and don't have a mind of their own. Right now they are told to kill anything that is not green.
justmedc Veteran Author Michigan Posts:382 Points:174,495 Joined:Mar 2012	Message Posted: Aug 16, 2012 11:41:20 PM Ignore justmedc Report Abuse if the plant meets federal guidelines, why is the EPA sticking it's nose in? oh yeah, MONEY
rf6480 Champion Author Miami Posts:1,539 Points:550,330 Joined:Mar 2011	Message Posted: Aug 16, 2012 11:40:16 PM Ignore rf6480 Report Abuse get rid of the restrictive EPA Ron Paul 2012, still in it
Tekkersmom57 Champion Author Syracuse Posts:1,894 Points:704,115 Joined:May 2010	Message Posted: Aug 16, 2012 11:40:05 PM Ignore Tekkersmom57 Report Abuse The EPA seems to be making a lot of shady choices lately.
chuckhermann All-Star Author New York Posts:967 Points:500,925 Joined:Jun 2011	Message Posted: Aug 16, 2012 11:38:38 PM Ignore chuckhermann Report Abuse With natural gas prices on the rise, the use of coal in on the rise again. Coal is going to be around for a long, long time.
bojiway1 Champion Author Minnesota Posts:2,064 Points:481,960 Joined:Dec 2011	Message Posted: Aug 16, 2012 11:36:29 PM Ignore bojiway1 Report Abuse see in Jan
bonzoonfmb Champion Author Florida Posts:1,792 Points:646,535 Joined:Feb 2010	Message Posted: Aug 16, 2012 11:36:18 PM Ignore bonzoonfmb Report Abuse We still very much need coal for energy generation. We need coal-energy production at its current level of EPA regulation. The view of the Grand Canyon is very, very noticeably smoggy though. I lived in Phoenix and I like Phoenix but I will even admit that where it is - in nothing but desert - is no place to have a self-sufficient major metropolitan area.
suzmar Champion Author Texas Posts:2,214 Points:874,980 Joined:Jun 2006	Message Posted: Aug 16, 2012 11:35:46 PM Ignore suzmar Report Abuse The EPA is out of control. Let's hope a change of administrations can bring this rogue agency under control.
Yankee829 Champion Author Dallas Posts:2,221 Points:562,515 Joined:Sep 2010	Message Posted: Aug 16, 2012 11:33:59 PM Ignore Yankee829 Report Abuse What are they doing?
pinkelefant Champion Author Sacramento Posts:19,601 Points:2,663,530 Joined:Aug 2003	Message Posted: Aug 16, 2012 11:30:51 PM Ignore pinkelefant Report Abuse There is haze in every national park.
bigdipperMS Champion Author Mississippi Posts:1,526 Points:539,680 Joined:Apr 2011	Message Posted: Aug 16, 2012 11:29:50 PM Ignore bigdipperMS Report Abuse Down with the EPA.
pgerassi Champion Author Milwaukee Posts:10,911 Points:2,134,530 Joined:Apr 2007	Message Posted: Aug 16, 2012 11:28:51 PM Ignore pgerassi Report Abuse Old news!
beachmanglen All-Star Author Tampa Posts:679 Points:498,600 Joined:Aug 2011	Message Posted: Aug 16, 2012 11:28:24 PM Ignore beachmanglen Report Abuse We need more nuclear. If coal is eliminated, electricity rates will double or triple.
abcdMA Champion Author Worcester Posts:7,937 Points:1,577,905 Joined:Nov 2008	Message Posted: Aug 16, 2012 11:27:18 PM Ignore abcdMA Report Abuse just what the administration wants
wayoung56 Champion Author Alabama Posts:2,815 Points:821,260 Joined:Oct 2006	Message Posted: Aug 16, 2012 11:26:30 PM Ignore wayoung56 Report Abuse Time to rein in the EPA...
WIPACKERFAN Champion Author Chicago Posts:8,814 Points:1,845,400 Joined:Aug 2005	Message Posted: Aug 16, 2012 11:25:03 PM Ignore WIPACKERFAN Report Abuse Not good.
carefrey Champion Author Orlando Posts:5,545 Points:1,162,310 Joined:Sep 2009	Message Posted: Aug 16, 2012 11:22:12 PM Ignore carefrey Report Abuse Old news!
mcmonsta Champion Author Honolulu Posts:3,237 Points:821,245 Joined:Sep 2009	Message Posted: Aug 16, 2012 11:20:48 PM Ignore mcmonsta Report Abuse EPA could mean extra pathetic agency, Extra political activism...
mstearno Champion Author Dayton Posts:8,080 Points:1,734,140 Joined:Jan 2008	Message Posted: Aug 16, 2012 11:19:57 PM Ignore mstearno Report Abuse get hamsters to produce your electricity
FlogNut Champion Author Chicago Posts:104,395 Points:1,991,350 Joined:Oct 2007	Message Posted: Aug 16, 2012 11:18:29 PM Ignore FlogNut Report Abuse Candidate Obama told us he wanted to bankrupt coal companies. Just our luck this is one of the few campaign promises he kept.
sts808 Veteran Author Honolulu Posts:361 Points:51,890 Joined:Jun 2012	Message Posted: Aug 16, 2012 11:16:24 PM Ignore sts808 Report Abuse ok
FunMyster All-Star Author Indiana Posts:907 Points:73,215 Joined:Jul 2011	Message Posted: Aug 16, 2012 11:13:38 PM Ignore FunMyster Report Abuse ok
Bildawg Champion Author Ohio Posts:1,071 Points:484,295 Joined:Oct 2011	Message Posted: Aug 16, 2012 11:12:19 PM Ignore Bildawg Report Abuse ok
crashintuc34 Champion Author Tucson Posts:4,062 Points:814,590 Joined:May 2010	Message Posted: Aug 16, 2012 11:09:43 PM Ignore crashintuc34 Report Abuse The EPA is out of control.
nimpy Champion Author Indianapolis Posts:8,150 Points:1,704,030 Joined:Oct 2007	Message Posted: Aug 16, 2012 11:07:27 PM Ignore nimpy Report Abuse You are so right a14morfun
dinomen Champion Author Arkansas Posts:1,882 Points:718,685 Joined:May 2010	Message Posted: Aug 16, 2012 11:07:03 PM Ignore dinomen Report Abuse Ok.
serrog Champion Author Nova Scotia Posts:5,579 Points:1,515,055 Joined:Oct 2008	Message Posted: Aug 16, 2012 11:06:31 PM Ignore serrog Report Abuse Blame Obama????
John747 Champion Author Chicago Posts:472,563 Points:3,627,835 Joined:Aug 2001	Message Posted: Aug 16, 2012 11:06:24 PM Ignore John747 Report Abuse We need to get rid of these fanatics as soon as we can. We have a Clean Air Act.......not a Pure Air Act!
a14morfun Champion Author Ontario Posts:11,817 Points:2,079,165 Joined:Jul 2005	Message Posted: Aug 16, 2012 11:05:19 PM Ignore a14morfun Report Abuse ...an interesting political dilemna, no doubt. And where is the saw-off between taking care of our environment and jobs, water, etc? Somewhere there's got to be a reasonable balance. Oops. I forgot. Government..., regulatory agencies..., environmental activists..., There IS NO logic or reason. Sigh....