WildEarth Guardians

Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Clean Air Plan Targets Coal-fired Facilities in Idaho

A Good Step Forward, but Falls Short of Considering Alternatives to Coal
Contact: Jeremy Nichols (303) 573-4898 x 1303

Boise, ID—A clean air plan proposed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today would cut air pollution from two coal-fired facilities in Idaho in an effort to tackle haze pollution throughout the American West, but falls short of considering cleaner alternatives to coal.

“This is a great step forward, but to truly protect our health and our environment, we need to move beyond coal,” said Jeremy Nichols, Climate and Energy Program Director for WildEarth Guardians.  “We applaud the EPA’s proposal to take this step forward, but the fact is, coal can’t fuel clean air in Idaho.”

The EPA’s proposal would approve a Department of Environmental Quality plan to limit air emissions from the Amalgamated Sugar Company’s sugar beet processing plant in Nampa and from Monsanto’s phosphate plant in Soda Springs.  Both facilities burn coal, making them two of the largest sources of air pollution the State.  The proposed plan targets haze forming pollutants, including nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxides.  According to the EPA, Idaho’s plan would reduce nitrogen oxides by 80% and sulfur dioxide emissions by 65% from the sugar beet plant.  The plan would also reduce sulfur dioxide emissions by 50% from the phosphate plant, although it would not reduce nitrogen oxide emissions from the facility.

However, the proposal overlooks opportunities to transition away from coal and toward cleaner fuels at both facilities.  This, despite the fact that cleaner fuels, such as natural gas, are available.

The Amalgamated Sugar Company, for instance, has already been working with the State of Idaho and Idaho Power to stop burning coal and develop a natural gas-fired combined heat and power operation at the company’s Nampa sugar plant.  Furthermore, the phosphate plant already uses natural gas as a supplemental fuel.

“There’s no such thing as clean coal,” said Nichols.  “EPA and DEQ can dress up this proposal all they want, but the fact is it just doesn’t make the kind of progress we need to make in clearing the skies and safeguarding future generations.”

Idaho’s plan was required by the Clean Air Act, which requires States and the EPA to retrofit the oldest and dirtiest sources of air pollution with the best available pollution controls in order to limit haze in wildlands, including National Parks and wilderness areas.  Retrofits can include switching fuels or even shutting down sources of air pollution.

Under the terms of a settlement with WildEarth Guardians, EPA is required to take final action on Idaho’s plan by June of 2011.

According to data from the State of Idaho, both the Nampa sugar beet plant and the Soda Springs phosphate plant contribute heavily to visibility in wildlands in Idaho and neighboring states.  Every year, both facilities release thousands of tons of haze forming nitrogen oxide and sulfur dioxide gases.   Modeling prepared by the Department of Environmental Quality shows that every year, the sugar beet factory contributes to 242 days of visibility degradation in seven key wildlands, including Hells Canyon and the Eagle Cap and Strawberry Mountain Wilderness Areas in Oregon.  The phosphate plant contributes to 613 days of visibility degradation in 11 key wildlands, including Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks.