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Santa Feans Rally to Transcend PNM Coal

Date
October 28, 2011
Contact
Jeremy Nichols (303) 573-4898 x 1303
In This Release
Climate + Energy  
#KeepItInTheGround
Friday, October 28, 2011
Santa Feans Rally to Transcend PNM Coal

WildEarth Guardians Join El Dia de los Muertos/Day of the Dead Procession Calling for an End to the San Juan Generating Station
Contact: Jeremy Nichols (303) 573-4898 x 1303

SANTEFE, NM—ElDia de los Muertos/The Day of the Dead is a traditional celebration of death,transformation, regeneration and transcendence, and this year, concerned NewMexicans, led by WildEarth Guardians, are calling for a specific type of deathand transcendence – for the death of coal at Public Service Company of New Mexico, or PNM and for the transcendenceto a clean energy economy that safeguards the health of the state.

Aspart of the traditional Dia de los Muertos Procession, dozens of concernedcitizens joined the giant traditional calavera (skeleton) puppets todemonstrate in a creative display, voicing their support for energytransformation.

Holdinga mock funeral procession for “Big Coal” participants, fueled by recent events,led the procession dressed as weeping dinosaurs in masks and costumes tosymbolize the dark ages of fossil fuels, and hauling the weight of a “Casketfor Coal.” Other processionparticipants wore solar sandwich boards and hats, carrying mock solar panels tosignify the hopeful dawn of clean energy. Since PNM’s coal-fired San JuanGenerating Station brings death by poisoning clean air, and consumes twice asmuch water as the entire city of Santa Fe, participants felt the issue wascomplementary to this year’s Procession theme of Air, Energy, Food and Water.

“There’sone cultural tradition we need to preserve in New Mexico, and that’s the giftof clean air,” said Jeremy Nichols, Climate and Energy Program Director forWildEarth Guardians. “If PNM continues to hold the state hostage by operatingthe San Juan Generating Station, the next Day of the Dead Procession may havemany more calaveras needing respiratory care.”

Outsideof traditional protest venues, WildEarth Guardians and concerned citizens arecalling on PNM to voluntarily retire its coal-fired San Juan GeneratingStation. Spurred by reportswhich attribute 33 deaths a year to San Juan coal, as well as 600 asthmaattacks, 31 asthma-related emergency room visits, and other health impacts,citizens are concerned the adverse health costs – estimated at more than $250million dollars a year, will only increase as PNM attempts to continueundermining federal Clean Air Act regulations.

“NewMexicans are paying PNM to kill themselves, and they deserve to know the truth.”Nichols continued. “Our state’s money is better spent investing in win-winsolutions that will protect public health and save billions in the long-run.”

The Day ofthe Dead Procession comes as PNM aggressively fights EPA’s proposed clean up planfor San Juan coal that would drastically reducehaze and smog forming pollution. WildEarth Guardians hopes thatparticipating in the day’s events will shed new light on PNM coal, asking thecompany to transform it’s archaic energy practices, and spend its money tofully retire the San Juan Generating Station, offsetting the electricity itgenerates with renewable energy.

New Mexicohas a 20% renewable energy requirement that PNM is not on target to meeting. Reportsshow a combination of rooftop solar and wind energy could supply New Mexico’spower needs by more than seventy-fold, and while utilities in Colorado andother states begin to retire coal-fired power plants, opting against investingmillions in the face of mounting environmental liability, New Mexicans arewondering why PNM lags behind.

“PNMshouldn’t have a free pass to pollute in New Mexico, and we can’t keep payingfor their misconduct with our lives.” Nichols continued. “El Dia de Los Muertoshappens once a year now, but if PNM doesn’t heed the call for transformation,New Mexico may have to honor many more deaths in the future. If there’s onecall heard this Day of the Dead, let it be the call to power past coal and protectthe health and pocketbooks of New Mexicans.”

Operatedand primarily owned by Public Service Company of New Mexico, or PNM, the SanJuan Generation Station is an 1,800 megawatt power plant that every yearreleases thousands of tons of toxic air pollution from its smokestacks. Located 15 miles west of Farmington, the plant consists of four boilers andreleases more than 18,000 tons of smog forming nitrogen oxide gases, 51 poundsof mercury, and more than 13,000,000 tons of carbon dioxide—as much as is releasedby more than 2.3 million passenger vehicles.

 

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As part of the traditional Dia de los Muertos Procession, dozens of concerned citizens joined the giant traditional calavera (skeleton) puppets to demonstrate in a creative display, voicing their support for energy transformation.