January 3, 2022 |
The Jim Bridger Power Plant is operating this morning. Governor Mark Gordon signed a Temporary Emergency Suspension Order late last week that allows Unit 2 of the Jim Bridger Power Plant to continue operating for at least 4 months and avert a New Year’s Day shut down of the unit.
More than 18 months ago, the Environmental Protection agency approved a Wyoming that would have allowed Unit 2 of the power plant to continue to operate and still meet the regional haze guidelines.
The plan was approved in 2020, but earlier this year, Michael Regan, Administrator of the EPA for the Biden Administration, reversed course and refused to honor the prior approval.
The Clean Air Act gives the Governor authority to issue this temporary suspension order to keep Unit 2 operating and prevent job losses that would occur at the plant and the mine. The temporary extension could be disapproved by Administrator Regan, but Wyoming believes the suspension meets all the legal requirements of the Clean Air Act and should be allowed to remain in effect.
Pictured above: File photo of the Jim Bridger Power Plant. The Center for Land Use Interpretation.
