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Protect the Land, Water, and Health of Frontline Communities
Ask the EPA to strengthen proposed rules to protect downstream communities from the toxic pollution left behind by coal plants and mines. Comments are due by July 17th.
The San Juan Generating Station powered New Mexico’s largest cities for 50 years. In Albuquerque and Santa Fe, our electricity use has come at great expense to the people living under the shadow of that plant. PNM has produced more than 59 million tons of Coal Combustion Residuals, aka coal ash, which has been disposed of in unlined pits. In the 2023 legislative session we celebrated passage of HB 142, a bill that requires NMED to commission an independent assessment for the cleanup of the San Juan Generating Station and Mine, in consultation with the community, in order to ensure that the site will be properly decommissioned and remediated with regulatory oversight.
Given that 92% of coal ash ponds have been found to contaminate adjacent groundwater sources, it is critical that similar legislation and federal regulations are instituted to protect frontline communities across the nation that have borne the brunt of our extractive energy industry.
The Coal Combustion Residuals Rule drafted by the EPA is a great start, but it is missing two critical components:
1. The rule does not include cleanup and monitoring of coal combustion residuals stored in mines, on floodplains, and in other areas outside coal plants.
2. The rule does not include adequate enforcement mechanisms to ensure compliance from coal plant operators.
Our letter calls for the rule to be strengthened by addressing both of the above. We encourage you to personalize your comment before submitting to ensure that it has maximum impact.
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Comments on the Coal Combustion Residuals Rule Closed
The comment period for this document is now closed. Thank you for caring about our land, water and health.
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