"$168 Million Settlement Between Navajo Coal Plant and EPA"

"The Environmental Protection Agency has announced a $168 million settlement to help remedy pollution from a coal-fired power plant on the Navajo Nation.

The settlement requires owners of the Four Corners Power Plant near Shiprock, New Mexico, to pay an estimated $160 million in upgrades to the plant’s sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide pollution controls. The settlement also sets aside $6.7 million for health and environmental mitigation projects for tribal members and levies a copy.5 million civil penalty. The Four Corners Power Plant settlement is subject to a 30-day public comment period and final court approval.

The Navajo grassroots group Diné Citizens Against Ruining the Environment (Diné CARE) has been pushing for resolution along with other citizen groups, and is a party to the settlement. Lori Goodman, a Diné CARE board member, said health concerns have been a primary driver for her group’s longstanding work on the issue."

Anne Minard reports for Indian Country Today Media Network June 25, 2015.