May 3 — Two coal-fired power plants have dominated for decades on opposite banks of the San Juan River in northwest New Mexico — twin engines generating immense power for several Western states and untold pollution that stains the air, soil and water.
One of the giants, the San Juan Power Plant, closed in 2022 after operating for half a century south of the river. The Four Corners Power Station, built on the north bank of the river in the early 1960s, was scheduled to close in 2031, but a proposed carbon sequestration system could extend its lifespan.
Both plants represent a time that is most often referred to in the past.
Coal is increasingly seen as a dirty fuel, with smokestacks spewing particulate matter and carbon dioxide contributing to global warming, while boilers that burn coal create piles of toxic ash waste.
The ash, laden with toxins, proved troublesome at these plants located just 9 miles apart, near Farmington and the Navajo Nation.
Most of the waste was taken to slurry ponds or buried in pits on site or in nearby mines. At least half of the ash deposit areas are not lined, posing a threat to groundwater and the river.
Utilities have made little effort to address leaking ash dumps and make them less harmful to the environment.
But that is changing.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has issued a new rule that requires businesses to take a thorough inventory of on-site ashtrays and remediate any that could release contaminants into groundwater, regardless of their age.
Environmental advocates and community advocates welcomed the new rule, saying it was high time to force utilities to clean up a dangerous mess that is contaminating precious waters in an increasingly arid state with climate change.
“The San Juan River remains an important lifeline for the region,” said Robyn Jackson, executive director of the nonprofit advocacy group Diné CARE. “No matter how the river is affected, it greatly affects this area.”
About 19 Navajo communities rely on the river for their agriculture and traditional water and food practices, Jackson said, so ash pollution jeopardizes their health and livelihoods.
Coal ash contains arsenic, lead, sulfide, selenium, nitrate and other heavy metals. Long-term exposure to these wastes can cause kidney and liver damage, heart problems and cancer.
An estimated 50 million tons of ash were disposed of at the San Juan site and 33.5 million tons at Four Corners.
The Public Service Company of New Mexico is the majority owner of the defunct San Juan plant, and Arizona Public Service is the primary owner of the Four Corners facility. These two utilities will be responsible for identifying and treating their on-site ash waste under the rule.
A PNM representative responded briefly to a list of emailed questions about how the utility would respond to the new requirements.
“We appreciate EPA’s focus on our clean energy transition,” wrote PNM spokesperson Kelly-Renae Huber. “We will continue to comply with EPA regulations.”
APS….
