Campaign sends more than 3,200 comments to EPA

The comments followed a public hearing held by EPA in Bismarck, ND.

Basin Electric Power Cooperative - December 2, 2011

At the end of the day Nov. 21, more than 3,200 comments had been posted on a website, several hundred pages of testimony submitted, and four letters from congressional delegations sent to the EPA, all with the same message: do not impose a Federal Implementation Plan, or FIP, on the state of North Dakota.

The comments followed a public hearing held by EPA in Bismarck, ND, Oct. 13-14 to gather testimony about a proposed action to take over the ND Department of Health management of the Regional Haze program of the Clean Air Act. A comment period followed the hearing and ended Nov. 21.

In filed comments to EPA, Basin Electric supported the state's evaluation of the costs to install selective catalytic reduction at its Leland Olds Station Unit 2, saying, "North Dakota exercised its discretion to determine that the costs are excessive in light of the expected visibility improvement. EPA has no basis or authority to disturb the State's evaluation of the costs of compliance."

Through the website www.stopepand.com, 3,240 visitors submitted letters to EPA.

The congressional delegations from Montana, South Dakota and Wyoming also sent letters to Lisa Jackson, EPA administrator, encouraging her to not impose the FIP. The letters can be viewed on Basin Electric's website: http://www.basinelectric.com/Legislation/EPA_regulations/index.html