Beyond Coal

02/02/2012 From Michael Brune, Executive Director

Have you ever had to turn away millions of dollars? It sounds crazy, but here's why the Sierra Club chose to do exactly that.

In 2010, soon after I became the organization's executive director, I learned that beginning in 2007 the Sierra Club had received more than $26 million from individuals or subsidiaries of Chesapeake Energy, one of the country's largest natural gas companies. At the same time I learned about the donation, we at the Club were also hearing from scientists and from local Club chapters about the risks that natural gas drilling posed to our air, water, climate, and people in their communities. We cannot accept money from an industry we need to change. Very quickly, the board of directors, with my strong encouragement, cut off these donations and rewrote our gift acceptance policy. Let me tell you how it came about.

Members and supporters of the Sierra Club from throughout New Mexico are speaking out in favor of clean air and against the pollution coming from the San Juan coal-fired power plant. These comments were sent to the EPA and our New Mexico Senators in December to support the EPA ruling that this coal plant needs to reduce it's nitrogen oxide pollution by 80%.

The Sierra Club supports the existing carbon-cap law passed by the New Mexico Environmental Improvement Board (EIB) in 2010.

On Dec. 21, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency released the first-ever federal protections against toxic mercury from power plants. Mercury is a dangerous brain poison that poses a particular threat to prenatal babies and young children. Exposure in the bloodstreams of pregnant and nursing women can result in birth defects like learning disabilities, lowered IQ, deafness, blindness and cerebral palsy.

The Sierra Club and the Coalition for Clean Affordable Energy support maintaining the 2010 New Mexico EIB carbon cap rule.

Contact: David Van Winkle, Energy Chair, Sierra Club Rio Grande Chapter (505) 820-1006, david@vw77.com

December 5 - David Van Winkle, Energy Chair for the Rio Grande Chapter of the Sierra Club, spoke on behalf of the Sierra Club and Coalition for Clean Affordable Energy before the Environmental Improvement Board on Monday. The board, appointed by Gov. Susana Martinez, is hearing testimony on a petition by PNM, New Mexico Petroleum Marketers and others to repeal a plan adopted (by different members) last year to cap greenhouse gases emitted by major sources in New Mexico.

EPA Issues First-Ever Protections against Toxic Mercury

Measure will protect New Mexico women and children from dangerous brain poison

Opposition grows to high pollution levels from PNM’s San Juan Generating Station

October 18, Santa Fe – In a push for healthier air across New Mexico and the Southwest, a coalition of environmental groups has filed a motion in federal court, approved today, to block an effort by New Mexico power company PNM to evade requirements of the Clean Air Act. In August the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ordered the installation of adequate pollution controls at the company’s San Juan Generating Station. PNM is appealing the EPA ruling, even though the company had years of warning that changes were needed to bring the coal-fired plant into legal compliance.

Originally published in the Santa Fe New Mexican on October 5 by Susan Montoya Bryan | The Associated Press

Coalition wants Four Corners to install state-of-the-art equipment to reduce emissions

ALBUQUERQUE — A coalition of environmental groups on Tuesday sued the owners of one of the nation's largest coal-fired power plants over allegations that the plant has failed to install the best available equipment to control pollution.

The CCAE protest of the NM IRP was filed on August 17. The complete document is attached to this webpage

July 18 - “PNM’s Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) continues the same strategies that have caused the huge rate increases realized by PNM customers. PNM has already raised rates by 25% in recent years and is currently asking the Public Regulation Commission (PRC) for another 20% rate increase, bringing the total to 50% (1.25 x 1.20 = 1.50) in just a few years. At the same time, PNM is not doing nearly enough to mitigate future rate increases driven by its continued investment in old, dirty fossil-fuel power plants. New Mexicans would be better served by a more much aggressive implementation of energy efficiency and clean renewable energy.” Don Hancock, Chairman of the Coalition for Clean Affordable Energy, said Monday.