Posted on 06/06/2002 10:12:40 AM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach
WASHINGTON – Targeting controversial power-plant projects near Mexicali, three California lawmakers launched a bipartisan effort yesterday to ban exports of natural gas to plants on the Mexican side of the border that fail to meet regional U.S. air-quality standards.
The two plants being built about four miles south of the border near Mexicali would be fueled by natural gas from the United States.
Legislation introduced by Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-El Cajon, and California Democratic Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer would apply to plants within 50 miles of the border that start operating after Dec. 31, 2001.
The lawmakers said they were responding to concerns about possible cross-border air pollution from the Mexicali power plants.
As currently designed, one of the plants, being built by InterGen of Boston, will not comply with California emission regulations.
A second plant being built in the area by San Diego-based Sempra Energy will comply with California emission regulations.
If the plant were built in neighboring Imperial County, however, the company would have to pay to reduce, or offset, other emissions to meet clean-air standards specific to the heavily polluted region.
The plants, which would supply electricity to customers on both sides of the border, are expected to release more than 3,000 tons of emissions into the air each year.
Sempra also is a partner in the construction of a 215-mile, cross-border pipeline that will supply natural gas to the power plants.
The legislation is the latest escalation in a dispute over the plants' impact on Imperial Valley-Mexicali air quality. Local activists and lawmakers who fear they will cause more pollution have failed to stop the U.S. government from granting permits for construction of the U.S. portion of the pipeline and power lines from the plants.
"It's been a constant effort that we get mainly InterGen to step to the plate and do the right thing," Hank Kuiper, chairman of the Imperial County Board of Supervisors, said yesterday. "We haven't failed yet. Maybe this is the answer."
The power companies say the pollution concerns are baseless. The Bush administration has touted joint U.S.-Mexican power projects as a way of alleviating California's energy woes.
"It makes some common sense to treat this air basin from a binational approach," Hunter said. "It certainly doesn't make sense to ban a U.S. company from polluting our air on our side of the border and allow it to move a few miles over the other side of the border to do the same thing."
Feinstein said, "I do not believe the fact that we need more power in California should allow companies to take advantage of this need and use it as an excuse to devote less attention to clean air and public health."
InterGen issued a statement saying its plant "will comply with or exceed recognized World Bank and Mexican environmental standards. The expanded units of the facility that are being built to serve California will be equipped with Best Available Control Technology to reduce emissions, which is currently required by state law for plants built in California."
However, the generating units that will produce power for Mexican consumers will not have such equipment.
Hunter said the legislation "will ensure that if this facility does not meet environmental emission standards, it will not be allowed to receive natural gas from the U.S."
Sempra "is voluntarily being built to California air standards and it will be one of the cleanest plants in North America," company representative Michael Clark said.
A Mexican Embassy spokesman had no comment on the legislation.
In issuing permits for the U.S. portion of the natural gas pipeline, U.S. energy agencies concluded the plants would not increase pollution "above the EPA-defined significant impact levels" on the U.S. side of the border.
The Environmental Protection Agency questioned that conclusion, however.
Hunter noted that Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham "has indicated interest in trying to come up with a solution. As of now, we don't have a commitment."
Staff writer Diane Lindquist contributed to this report.
The only thing cleaner as far as Green House Gases are Nuclear plants.
Could that be their plan?
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In other words, we're doing our level best to insure a future train wreck like the winter of 2000. Then maybe we can federalize all energy markets because everyone will feel sorry for those poor Californicators.
P.S. who is Duncan Hunter and is he a RINO or a Republican?
Quit trying to build power plants to sell power to California!
When will they ever learn their lesson? It's not worth it.
Hope springs eternal! Besides after you have invested as much money in campaign contributions to democrats & environmental groups, you expect them to cut you a little slack.
I am reminded of the old political saying, " an honest politician is one who stays bought and doesn't ask for more money later."
Take a look at the following Cal Iso Condition site for the forecast and then place your bets. My view is it will be tight, but no outages, unless something really big goes down like the PNW intertie.
It is so good that Boxer and Feinstein are working at preventing evil power plants from being built to supply power to California
I think they'll skate by, but an unexpected plant shutdown will make things very interesting.
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