March 22, 2016
ROCKY MOUNTAIN POWER NEWS RELEASE
Rocky Mountain Power will refute allegations in a lawsuit regarding environmental compliance at its Huntington power plant in Emery County, Utah. This action has been anticipated by the company.
Last October, HEAL Utah and Sierra Club publicized a notice of intent to file the lawsuit, which resulted in a few extremely one-sided news reports. In response, Rocky Mountain Power submitted an editorial opinion refuting the claims to The Salt Lake Tribune Oct. 30, 2015. It was published Nov. 15, 2015.
Rocky Mountain Power has a long record of excellent compliance with state and federal environmental laws. We are committed to maintain this record. The company has taken proactive measures at the Huntington power plant to ensure compliance with environmental regulations and has obtained the appropriate permits to undertake these actions.
Many of the conclusions the plaintiffs claim from company information or studies are not supported by the facts of the studies themselves.
The company has dealt for many years with threats and lawsuits by Sierra Club and HEAL Utah. But recent publicity tactics by these groups are particularly objectionable in how they selectively use data to make misleading and, in some cases, false claims.
Sierra Club and HEAL Utah are on record working to immediately stop the use of coal to generate electricity.
We will continue to operate existing coal resources to provide low-cost electricity for our customers as part of our “all of the above” generation resource portfolio. The Huntington plant operational life currently extends beyond 2030. Our gradual, prudent deployment of more natural gas, wind and other renewable resources has been underway for more than 15 years. Since 2001, all the power plants we’ve built have been natural gas or wind.
Environmental respect is one of Rocky Mountain Power’s core business principles, which includes compliance with environmental requirements, developing sustainable operations, and respecting our natural resources, while ensuring that we fulfill our commitment to our customers to provide safe, reliable and reasonably priced electricity.