Dear Guardian,
It’s a victory for clean energy and another setback for
coal.
On September 28, a federal judge in Colorado ruled in favor
of WildEarth Guardians, maintaining that the coal-fired power plant in the eastern
plains town of Lamar violated the Clean Air Act for more than four years.
Since 2009, we’ve been working with residents of this small
town to stand up to their coal burning power plant, which is operated by the
Arkansas River Power Authority. Unbelievably,
the plant used to burn natural gas, but converted to coal because it was
considered cheaper.
Unfortunately for those living in Lamar, the coal was
cheaper because the plant was breaking the law. With the help of the University of Denver Environmental Law
Clinic, we sought to put an end to these ongoing clean air violations and filed
suit.
Thankfully, this dirty energy wrong has been righted and now
the Arkansas River Power Authority—which provides power to all of southeastern
Colorado—faces millions in penalties.
For now, the plant is shutdown, meaning we have an
opportunity to help southeastern Colorado power past coal to clean energy for
good. As I told the media:
The cost of coal is tremendous. We hope the Arkansas River Power Authority comes to its senses and finds a better way forward to provide clean, reliable, and affordable energy for all of southeastern Colorado.
The time is right. As noted in a recent
article, businesses, including the local truck stop, are already looking to
develop their own wind turbines to power their operations.
This is an awesome example of the power of citizens to
protect their environment, the effectiveness of WildEarth Guardians’ efforts to
confront coal, and the success of your support.
