Tuesday, Oct 23 2012 3:30PM
Emissions from a Nevada-based coal-fired plant have become an issue local tribes are working to fix.
The National Parks Conservation Association and Sierra Club teamed up with the Moapa Band of Paiute Indians to push for improved air quality standards for a coal-fired power plant.
According to The Associated Press (AP), emissions from the plant are affecting local rural communities and tribes. However, little has been done to curb the issue.
"Everything we've done so far, we've ended up with nothing," William Anderson, chairman of the the tribe, told the AP Associated Press.
The group has been in contact with the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco with hopes of getting the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to edit current standards.
The updated Clean Air Act has been in placed for just a month. However, it fails to address health concerns for rural residents but rather focuses strictly on emissions and haze throughout national parks, according to the source.
In addition to its effects on the health of the tribe, the Sierra Club has pushed to close the plant in order to save both energy and money. The Beyond Coal campaign submitted a report to the Public Utilities Commission which noted ratepayers would save up to $59 million with the seize of operations.
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The Associated Press