The deal resolves allegations that the facility on the Uintah and Ouray Indian Reservation lands near Vernal violated provisions of the act’s New Source Performance Standards by emitting excess particulate pollution.
Deseret is required to both pay the penalties and put procedures in place for controlling particulate emissions during startup and shutdown of Bonanza’s coal-fired boiler at Bonanza.
The company also will finance a $260,000 vehicle replacement program, which will switch out about five of its fleet vehicles for natural gas use.
EPA Denver enforcement director Mike Gaydosh said the changes would improve visibility in the surrounding area of the plant.
“Additionally, the conversion of the company’s vehicles to natural gas will benefit local air quality by significantly reducing emissions of harmful nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and particulates,” he said.
The agency also claimed Deseret’s pollution control device was bypassed during startup and shutdown events, which it said resulted in excess particulate matter emissions.
Under the settlement deal, Deseret has agreed to route emissions through the control device during both actions.
Bonanza is Deseret's primary generating resource, according to its web site, and is ranked in the top environmentally clean coal fired plants in the US.
The Deseret Cooperative is owned by its six member systems: Bridger Valley Electric, Dixie Escalante, Flowell Electric, Garkane Energy, Moon Lake Electric, and Mt. Wheeler Power.
