HARTFORD, Conn. (Legal Newsline) -- Connecticut Attorney General George Jepsen on Wednesday announced a settlement with the owners of a Pennsylvania power plant that will provide $1 million in environmental mitigation in Connecticut and New Jersey.
The consent decree resolved a lawsuit filed by New Jersey in 2007, which Connecticut joined in 2008, against GenOn Power Generation LLC, GenOn REMA LLC and Dynegy Inc. The lawsuit sought to enforce the federal Clean Air Act and reduce air pollution emissions by two coal-fired generating units at the eastern Pennsylvania-based Portland Generating Station.
"Geography makes Connecticut and other northeastern states vulnerable to air pollution blown in from other regions," Jepsen said in a statement. "We will continue to challenge emissions from pollution sources in other states, to help meet the air quality standards necessary for the health and safety of Connecticut residents."
Connecticut Energy and Environmental Protection Commissioner Daniel Esty said the settlement represented another successful action to prevent other states from allowing dirty coal to be burned to produce electricity while pushing significant air pollution into Connecticut.
The burning of coal produces emissions of air pollutants sulfur dioxide, particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide.
Under the terms of the settlement, the plant owners must stop burning coal in the plant's Units 1 and 2 by June 1, 2014, except as essential to maintain reliability of the electric grid, comply with a final Environmental Protection Agency rule that requires significant reductions in sulfur dioxide emissions and pay $1 million into an environmental mitigation fund to be shared by Connecticut and New Jersey.