EPA grants air permit for Desert Rock Energy Project
31 August 2008 -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued its approval for the final air permit for the Desert Rock Energy Project in New Mexico. The air permit will enable construction on the $3 billion, 1,500 MW ($2,000/kW) coal power plant that is being jointly developed by the Diné Power Authority (DPA) and Sithe Global.
The project will employ two 750 MW ultra supercritical boiler units, low NOX burners, a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system, fluidized gas desulfurization (FGD) units, wet scrubbers and a wet stack for mercury control.
According to officials, the project will reduce water use by 85 percent because of the advanced air cooling technologies that will be used, and reduce greenhouse gases by 20 percent because of its improved efficiency.
The project will now have to get a Maximum Achievable Control Technology (MACT) assessment for hazardous pollutants, such as mercury, and an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), which is managed by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. In late 2007, the comment period closed following 10 public hearings in communities around the region.
The approval process for the permit reportedly lasted more than 4 years. Earlier this year, DPA and Sithe sued EPA to compel action on the permit that was said to be more than three years overdue. The final approval was in accordance with a consent decree that required EPA to issue its permit by July 31.
Articles 
| View all PennWell sites | View all PennWell events
Add RSS Feed
