Because it is a large coal-fired power plant that emits large amounts of nitrogen dioxide gas that is partly responsible for visibility issues at the Grand Canyon and other parks in the West. The three agencies that issued the statement today are the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), the Department of the Interior and the Department of Energy.
Gosar issued a statement explaining that the statement "seems to imply that the Obama Administration is abandoning a previous proposal that would have done little to improve haze while imposing catastrophic costs on the Arizona economy."
Here is the full Gosar statement, and the Administration's Joint Statement can be found at the above link.
Representative Gosar: Navajo Generating Station Working Group Is A Good Start
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Congressman Paul A. Gosar (R - AZ) released the following statement regarding the Obama Administration's formation of a Navajo Generating Station Working Group to develop recommendations on the important Northern Arizona power plant:
"After years of mixed messages and uncertainty, today’s joint statement seems to imply that the Obama Administration is abandoning a previous proposal that would have done little to improve haze while imposing catastrophic costs on the Arizona economy. While there are many unanswered questions pertaining to this working group, I hope it signals that the federal government will work with, and not continue to dictate to, Arizona and tribal stakeholders.
Protecting the affordability and security of our state’s water and power supply has been one of my top priorities in Congress. Rest assured, I will continue to fight for Arizona’s interests and ensure the NGS does not become a victim of the Obama Administration's regulatory ‘war on the west.’"
The Navajo Generating Station and the associated coal mine directly employs over 1,000 northern Arizonans with more than 80 percent being Native American. The plant powers the Central Arizona Project, the country’s largest aqueduct system, which delivers more than 500 billion gallons of Colorado River water to cities, towns, industries, Native American communities, and irrigation districts that serve more than 80 percent of Arizona’s population. Additionally, the plant is critical to the federal government’s ability to meet federal trust responsibilities under Arizona Indian water rights settlements.
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