FPP Not Relaxing Pollution Controls

An alert reader sent us a copy of a New York Times story headlined “E.P.A., Citing Coronavirus, Drastically Relaxes Rules for Polluters.”

The story stated that there are new guidelines amidst the pandemic for power plants to monitor themselves and the Environmental Protection Agency will not be issuing fines for violations of certain air, water, and hazardous waste reporting requirements.

That reader thought this might have an impact on the Fayette Power Project coal plant outside La Grange.

So we sent the following questions to Clara Tuma, the Public Information Officer for the Lower Colorado River Authority, which oversees FPP:

The EPA has relaxed some environmental rules because of Covid-19, but can you tell me if FPP has relaxed any environmental rules/safeguards because of this?

Have Covid-19 restrictions prevented FPP from meeting any pollution rules/safeguards?

She responded saying: “The answer to your questions are: no and no.”