Grand Canyon

Your editorial on air cleanup in the Grand Canyon (“Grand Canyon Pollution Cleanup,” Sept. 13) states the city “must be willing to share the cost of cleaning up pollution it causes elsewhere.” While we agree with your statement, we also want to be assured that the funds spent on additional cleanup equipment for the Navajo Generating Station will indeed result in greater visibility at the Grand Canyon.

As a 21% owner of the coal-fueled power plant, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power customers would be responsible for a fifth of the costs for additional emissions control equipment, including flue gas scrubbers, if required by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The recent EPA conclusion that the Page, Ariz., power plant is a major source of visibility impairment in the Grand Canyon was based on a study designed for other purposes.

Original testing of Navajo stack emissions tracers by the National Park Service was designed to monitor parklands far north of the Grand Canyon. Only one measuring station was set up south of the plant at the Grand Canyon. To make an assumption based on one sample point and then require installation of extremely expensive emissions control equipment is premature. More testing is needed to verify this assumption.

The DWP is supportive of all efforts being undertaken by Navajo’s operating manager, Salt River Project, to determine the extent of the plant’s contribution to visibility impairment in the Grand Canyon. Once this is accomplished, the DWP and other plant owners will act responsibly to ensure that the appropriate and cost-effective additional emissions controls are implemented.

RICK J. CARUSO

President

Los Angeles DWP