Final EPA Plan for North Dakota Fails to Deliver on Promise of Clean Air, Restored Scenic Views, and Improved Health for Families and Visitors

“With the release of its final clean air plan earlier today, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) frustrated hopes for significant air pollution reductions from two massive coal-fired power plants in North Dakota. Backing down from its September 2011 proposal, EPA no longer plans to require modern pollution controls at the Milton R. Young or Leland Olds generating stations.

“NPCA is deeply disappointed that EPA has chosen to reverse course. This represents a missed opportunity to stem the damage that these facilities do to the health of local communities and the air quality at nationally-treasured places like Theodore Roosevelt National Park.

“EPA’s originally proposed decision was well-supported technically and economically, and favored the use of modern pollution controls that are installed on hundreds of facilities around the country and worldwide. Despite this, and ignoring its own evidence that these controls are both feasible and appropriate, EPA has finalized a plan that allows five to seven times more pollution.

“NPCA strongly disagrees with this conclusion. It unnecessarily denies North Dakotans the substantial, well-documented economic and health benefits of cleaning up these plants. NPCA is evaluating its full suite of options moving forward, to ensure the best protections for the parks and other public lands impacted by these North Dakota facilities.”

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