Sierra Club and the Moapa Band of Paiutes are concerned about soil and groundwater contamination surrounding the Reid Gardner coal-fired power plant that lies adjacent to the Moapa Band of Paiutes’ reservation.

NV Energy announced in June that the 557MW Reid Gardner plant would be retired before 2017 as part of its move away from coal-fired power.

Sierra Club said that the plant’s imminent closure meant work on cleanup must start immediately.

“Paiute families have waited long enough for remediation. Now with the Reid Gardner coal plant closing, it is critical that we ensure that the process of cleaning up the site begins immediately,” Sierra Club state energy taskforce chair Jane Feldman said.

The Paiutes have long complained about the neighbouring plant, arguing that its tribe members living on land adjacent to it have been sickened by pollution.

“We are all looking forward to the retirement of the Reid Gardner coal-fired plant that has for decades polluted our reservation,” leader of the tribe’s health and environmental committee Vickie Simmons said.

“And for the sake of our families’ health, we must ensure that the toxic waste from the power plant is fully cleaned up. The safety of our community and the future of our children depend on it.”

The lawsuit, citing violations of the federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act and the Clean Water Act, calls for the proper removal and disposal of all solid wastes at the Reid Gardner site, including toxic soils and sludge disposed of in coal ash piles, toxic coal dust, and contaminated ground water.

It also seeks to require that NV Energy eliminate any impacts of airborne or underground pollution to the Muddy River.

NV Energy has previously stated that the plant complies with both state and federal environmental standards.