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Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) Permit for the Desert Rock Energy Facility
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In 2004, Sithe Global Power, LLC. proposed construction of the Desert Rock Energy Facility, a new 1500 megawatt coal-fired power plant on the Navajo Nation tribal reservation, approximately 25 miles southwest of Farmington, New Mexico. In consideration of over 1,000 oral and written comments received during an extended public comment period in 2006, EPA made a final decision on July 31, 2008 to issue a Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) permit for this facility. The administrative record for the initial permit is available through regulations.gov. See docket EPA-R09-OAR-2007-1110.
Following EPA’s final permit decision, several parties appealed that decision to the Agency’s Environmental Appeals Board (EAB). The Desert Rock Energy Company can not begin construction of the facility until this appeal process is completed. Documents filed in the appeal are available in the Desert Rock Energy Company, LLC docket on the EAB’s website.
On January 7, 2009 EPA notified the EAB that it was withdrawing a portion of our permitting decision for further consideration. Following the withdrawal EPA prepared an addendum to the statement of basis for the permit which addresses the issue of whether a final PSD permit for the Desert Rock Energy Company should contain emissions limitations for carbon dioxide. EPA requested public comments on this addendum from January 22, 2009 through March 25, 2009. The administrative record for the addendum to the statement of basis is available through regulations.gov. See docket EPA-R09-OAR-2009-0259.
Notes
- The public notice and addendum to the statement of basis were initiated by the prior Administration on January 14, 2009. The new EPA Administrator will review this proposed action and make any future decisions regarding this matter.
- EPA received over 20,000 public comment letters in response to its request for public comments on the addendum to the statement of basis. In response to requests from the public, we have posted the comments we received from certain organizations while we continue to review and organize the remainder of the comments.
April 27, 2009 submittal to the Environmental Appeals Board
- News Release
- 4/27/09 Motion for Voluntary Remand (PDF) (35 pp, 505K, About PDF)
Contact Information
If you have questions or need additional information, you can email your requests to DesertRockAirPermit@epa.gov or call:
| Contact | Phone Number | Topic |
| Joseph Lapka (lapka.joseph@epa.gov) |
(415) 947-4226 | Questions regarding the PSD permit or permitting process |
|
Darrin Swartz-Larson (swartz-larson.darrin@epa.gov) |
(415) 947-4306 | All media inquiries |
| Lillie Lane (lane_lillie50@hotmail.com) (Navajo Nation) |
(928) 871-6092 | All questions in Diné |
Navajo Nation EPA  |
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