Utility submits plan for Rio Grande Power Plant
NEW MEXICO - El Paso Electric has submitted a plan to the New Mexico Environment Department for investigating water and soil contamination at its power plant in Sunland Park.
The department said the plan calls for excavation of contaminated soil, the installation of soil borings and a monitoring well and the collection of soil and groundwater samples to define the extent of contamination.
The Rio Grande Power Plant uses natural gas and fuel oil to generate electricity. The department said past spills from several above ground storage tanks that hold the fuel oil contaminated soil and groundwater.
After the investigation is done, El Paso Electric will have to submit a cleanup proposal. The public will have an opportunity to comment on that plan and request a hearing or meeting.
Related News

Sierra Club: Governor Abbott's Demands Would Leave Texas More Polluted and Texans in the Dark
AUSTIN - Earlier this week, Governor Abbott released a letter to the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUC) and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), demanding changes that Abbott falsely claims will "increase power generation capacity and to ensure the reliability of the Texas power grid."
Unfortunately, Abbott's letter promotes polluting, unreliable fossil fuels, attacks safer clean energy options, and ignores solutions that would actually benefit everyday Texans.
"Governor Abbott, in a blatant effort to politicize Texans' energy security, wants to double down on fossil fuels, even though they were the single largest point of failure during both February's…