GregoryViendozaStephenRoeLewisGovernorLieutenantGovernor GILA RIVER INDIAN COMMUNITY Executive

Office‘ANewGenerationofLeadershipServingthePeople”August15,2012JaredBlumenfeldRegionIXAdministratorEnvironmentalProtectionAgency75HawthorneStreetSanFrancisco,CA94105Re:ConcernsRegardingPreliminaryBestAvailableRetrofitTechnologyRulemakingforNavajoGeneratingStationDearMr.Blumenfeld,ThankyouformeetingwithusonAugust7thandforyourcommitmenttocontinuedconsultationinconnectionwithEPA’sNavajoGeneratingStation(NGS)BestAvailableRetrofitTechnology(BART)rulemaking.itwasencouragingtohearthatEPAremainscommittedtoissuingthepreliminaryBARTbytheendofSummer2012.IappreciateEPA’sacknowledgmentthatitsBARTdecisionwillimpacttheCommunityandotherArizonaIndiantribesandEPA’srecognitionthatitstrustobligationsandthe“non-airqualityimpacts”ofEPA’sBARIdecisionontribescompelsEPAtoremainflexibleinmakingandimplementingitsBARTdetermination.TheCommunitybelievesthisflexibilityiswarrantedandnecessaryinordertocreatea“glidepath”fbrtheimplementationofBARTsothattheUnitedStatescanestablishamechanismtomitigatetheimpactsof’EPA’sBARTdeterminationoiitheCommunity.AswehavemadeabundantlyclearintheBARTrulemakingprocesstodateandconfirmedatourrecentmeeting,therolethatNGSplaysintheCongressionally-approvedArizonaWaterSettlementsActmakestheplantunique,andadecisiontoimposeEPA’sBARTdecisiontoselectSelectiveCatalyticReduction(SCR)asBARTwillhavesevereeconomicconsequencesfurtheCommunity.Puttingasidetheseeconomicconsequences,theCommunityremainsunconvincedthatthebenefitsofSCRjustifyitscosts.Asjustoneofmanysourcesofhazeintheregion,itisquestionablewhetherimposingSCRatNGSwouldmakeanyappreciabledifferenceinvisibility,especiallywhenconsideringthatNGShasrecenttyspent$45milliontoinstallLow-NOxBurnersandSeparatedOverfireAironeachoftheNGSunits.TheseimprovementsalonereducedNOxemissionsby40%..525West(illiiXi•PostOfficeBox97•Sacaton,Arizona85147•Telephone:(520)562-9841•FaxLine.(520)562-9849web.wwwgilariverorgIndeed,the2005closureoftheMohavePowerProject,a1,590MWcoal-firedpowerplant,didnotmarkedlyimprovedvisibilityintheregion.Iftheclosureofalargecoal-firedpowerplantdidnotimprovevisibility,whywouldtheinstallationofSCRatNGSmakemuchdifferenceinthevisibility?BecausethebenefitsofSCRarestillthesubjectofmuchdebate,theCommunitybelievestheEPAshouldfirstconsiderlesscostlyoptionsforBARTatNGSthatwillnothavesuchsevereconsequencesfortribessuchastheCommunity.ThegravestconsequenceofEPA’sBARTdeterminationfortheCommunitywouldbetheclosureofNGS.Inordertoavoidasubstantialriskofclosure,EPAshoulduseitsflexibilitytorequireNGStoimplementBARTonlyaftertheNGSownersextendorrenewtheirleaseandothercriticalNGSagreements(e.g.,right-of-wayagreements).BecausetheBureauofReclamationisanNGSownerandNGSislocatedontriballands,theNGSownerscanonlyexecutetheleaseandotheragreementsfollowingareviewandapprovalundertheNationalEnvironmentalPolicyAct(NEPA).Although,weweretoldthatEPAiscommittedtomakingsurethatNGSdoesnotclosedown,theCommunityisconcernedthatEPAisnottakingtheNGSowner’sconcernsregardingtimingseriously.InaMarch12,2012letter,SaltRiverProject,ArizonaPublicService,GenerationNVEnergyandTucsonElectricPoweridentifiedanumberofchallengesatNGSthatcouldleadtoplantclosureifEPAdoesnotallowforBIAtocompletethemulti-yearNEPAprocessesbeforerequiringNGStoinstallBART.Thus,EPAshouldrequireNGStoimplementBARTwithinareasonabletimeperiod—suchassevenyears—followingthecompletionoftheEnvironmentalImpactStatementandRecordofDecisionontheNGSagreements.IfEPAdoessele.ctSCR,itisimportantthattheproposedruleexpresslyrecognizestheeconomicimpactsthatthisdecisioncouldhaveontheCommunityandotherArizonatribesTheproposedruleshouldacknowledgetheuniquenatureofNGSandtheuniquenon-airqualityimpactsEPA’sproposedrulewillhaveontheCommunity.Inaddition,theproposedruleshouldaddressthetrustresponsibilityofEPAandtheDepartmentoftheInterior,andinthatcapacity,thecommitmenttoworkwiththeCommunitytoestablishaplanorprogramtomitigatetheimpactsthatSCRwillhaveontheCommunity.Asdemonstratedbycommissioninganeconomicimpactstudyandproposingamitigationplanthatincorporatesatransitiontowardrenewableenergy,itisclearthattheCommunity.iscommittedtobeingpartofthesolution.GiventhechallengesatNGS,theCommunitybelievesthatEPAmustadoptaflexiblestrategythatdoesnotconstrainitsoptionsinaddressingtheimpactsofEPA’sBARTdecision.WhiletheCommunityiswillingtobeflexibleduringtheBARTproceedings,itisincumbentuponEPAtoprovideforaviabletimeframetoassurethatNGScanremainopenfollowingadecisiontoimposeSCR,recognizeandaddressaspartoftheproposedrulethesignificantimpactsthatSCRwouldhaveontheeconomyandlifestyleoftheCommunity,andcommittoworkingwiththeDepartmentofInteriortoestablishameanstomitigatetheimpactsthatEPA’sBARTdecisionwillhaveontheCommunity.TheCommunitylooksforwardtohostingEPA’sconsultationwithotherArizonatribesonAugust27.ShouldyouhaveanyquestionspleasecontactLinusEverling,520-562-9763.Sincereiy,\GregryMndqaGovernorGilaRiverIndianCommunitycc:ColleenMcKaughan,EPA:-Y-k4k-4:44.-#4-44-.4-kØ-.?MkAe’4