The state Air Quality Control Commission on Thursday adopted a new rule aimed at curbing emissions from Colorado companies that create haze over national parks and wilderness areas.
The rule sets up a process wherein the industries – which include refineries, cement plants and power plants – will analyze their emissions and come up with ways to cut them.
Some industries may be forced to add pollution control equipment under the process, known as ” Best Available Retrofit Technology,” or BART.
So far, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment has named 13 facilities, mostly coal-fired power plants, as possible sources of the sulfur and nitrogen-based emissions that cause haze.
Several industry officials questioned why they were being singled out.
They argued that state regulators ought to be focusing their attention on cars, forest fires and agriculture operations that produce air pollution.
“By itself, this proposed rule does not make any improvements,” said Paul Seby, an attorney for the Center for Energy and Economic Development, an Alexandria, Va.-based group that promotes electricity generated from coal.
Officials with the state health department’s air pollution control division said the new rule is only part of the state’s overarching plan to reduce haze.
The haze plan has to be completed by August 2007.
“I think the division has tried to put the BART rulemaking process in context to our regional haze plan,” said Mike Silverstein, a division program manager. “… It’s just one part of the plan.”
Residents who live near some of the targeted industries urged the commission to adopt stringent emission limits.
Richard Cargill, who lives 2 miles east of Cemex Inc.’s cement plant near Lyons, expressed doubt that the industries will make emission reductions that will actually help Rocky Mountain National Park and the other affected areas.
In recent years, visibility at Rocky Mountain National Park has declined to an average view of about 30 to 90 miles, down from a historical average of 140 miles.
“In the effort to keep Lyons and the Rocky Mountain National Park viable, we know there may be cracks in the regulatory scheme,” Cargill said. “Quite frankly, we don’t have a lot of confidence that Cemex won’t slip through those cracks.”
Officials with the Colowyo coal mine south of Craig said they are worried about sales to a nearby power plant drying up if the commission adopts stringent emission limits that forces the facility to buy coal with a lower nitrogen content.
“The loss of coal sales from the mine could have a significant impact on nearby rural communities,” said Steve Loshbaugh, the mayor of Meeker who also works for the mine.
Staff writer Kim McGuire can be reached at 303-820-1240 or kmcguire@denverpost.com.
