Colorado Compromise - Coal & Communities Coexist

In a State known for its pristine beauty, another beautiful thing has emerged, 'compromise.' Hg-ATME has been following the Colorado debate over mercury emissions for the last few months and now, yesterday, it appears the parties on all sides have agreed. These excerpts and the rest of the article from the CBS 4 Denver.com website highlight just how utilities, environmental groups and government can work together to do what is right for their communities.

"We found as we talked that we saw we weren't as far apart as we thought we had been," said Jim Sanderson, an attorney representing a coalition of utilities.
(...)
Vickie Patton, an attorney with Environmental Defense, gave a great deal of credit to the utilities for the compromise.

"Colorado power companies were an incredible voice of leadership in coming forward to provide very significant mercury emissions standards," Patton said.

The details of the agreement (from Environment Colorado) show what a true compromise is all about.

Specifically, the new rules will do the following:

• require two largest coal-fired power plants and emitters of mercury pollution, the Pawnee and Rawhide energy stations, to begin clean-up immediately and reduce mercury pollution 80% by 2012;

• require all coal plants to reduce mercury pollution 80% by 2014, and then 90% by 2018; and

• prevent coal-fired power plants in Colorado from selling mercury pollution “trading credits” to other polluters and encouraging mercury “hot spots” to stay polluted.

Both sides gave in some and thus both sides got a lot back. And the people of Colorado and everyone else downwind are the big winners. We need more States to follow in these footsteps.