Environment Department sues El Paso Electric
The lawsuit was filed recently in state district court in Santa Fe, alleging multiple violations of New Mexico's Air Quality Control Act. The facility is located near the border between El Paso, Texas, and Sunland Park, N.M.
El Paso Electric spokeswoman Teresa Souza said the lawsuit is an old dispute about some ambiguous language in an air permit that has been clarified. She said the plant is in compliance with the air permit.
Environment Department spokeswoman Marissa Stone said that the department issued a compliance order to El Paso Electric for excess emissions violations about two years ago and those violations have not been resolved.
Stone added that the company's recent emissions also are in excess of its permit limits.
As part of the lawsuit, the Environment Department claims El Paso Electric violated more than 350 of the maximum emission rates for oxides of nitrogen, carbon monoxide and sulfur dioxide and failed to report deviations from the maximum emission rates.
Related News

Hydro-Quebec won't ask for rate hike next year
MONTREAL - Hydro-Quebec Distribution will not file a rate adjustment application with the province’s energy board this year.
In a statement released on Friday the Crown Corporation said it wants current electricity rates to be maintained for another year, starting April 1. That is consistent with the recently tabled Bill 34, which guarantees lower electricity rates for Quebecers.
The bill also provides a $500 million rebate in 2020, half of which will go to residential customers while $190 million will go to commercial customers and another $60 million to industrial ones.
Hydro-Quebec said the 2020-21 rate freeze will generate savings of nearly $1…