EPA and DOJ settle with Four Corners Power Plant owners

The owners of Four Corners Power Plant, on the Navajo Nation in New Mexico, recently agreed to a settlement with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Department of Justice after facing charges of violating the Clean Air Act.

Under the agreement, Arizona Public Service Company, the plant’s operator and primary owner, will join other area utility companies in undertaking more than $160 million in upgrades to the power plant.

“This settlement is a significant achievement for air quality and the health of the people of the Navajo Nation and the surrounding region,” John C. Cruden, assistant attorney for the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division General, said. “The agreement will require stringent pollution controls as well as public health and environmental projects that will have lasting benefits for the Navajo people.

Accused of modifying Four Corners without proper permitting and for violating the Clean Air Act’s New Source Review rules, Arizona Public Service Company also will pay a $1.5 million penalty, and spend $6.7 million on health care and environmental initiatives.

“The law requires companies to protect clean air, and those living nearby – like Navajo communities – expect it,” EPA Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Assistant Administrator Cynthia Giles said.