Environmental commitment to Tri-State's power facilities

Air Quality

Continuous Emissions Monitoring Systems (CEMS) are in place at generation facilities to measure air emissions from each plant.  Emission data is acquired on a minute-by-minute basis and monitored by Tri-State. This information is periodically compiled into reports that are submitted to state and federal agencies.  Daily air emissions monitoring and quarterly reporting is conducted at each of Tri-State’s generation facilities.  Air quality requirements are based on a two tier test: to protect human health and protect environment.  Tri-State meets or goes beyond air quality permit requirements.

Water Quality

Tri-State monitors and reports on the quality of drinking water, groundwater, storm water and wastewater at our generating stations in accordance with applicable local, state and federal permits and regulations.  Our goal is to ensure compliance with all applicable water quality regulations.  Tri-State promotes resource efficiency in our operations through the prevention and minimization of water pollution.  Tri-State meets or exceeds water quality permit requirements.

Pollution Prevention/Waste

Tri-State utilizes a compliance based pollution prevention approach and incorporates pollution prevention into all aspects of our EMS.  Our operating practices encourage the use of non-hazardous or less hazardous chemicals.  The purchase, inventory, and use of chemical products are closely controlled at all generation facilities in order to minimize the generation of hazardous wastes.  This practice enables Tri-State to further protect employees and the environment, reduce waste generation while complying with chemical reporting requirements.

Emission Controls

In 2002, the association embarked on its largest environmental project upgrade at Craig Station.  The four-year retrofit to Units 1 and 2 improved the ability of Tri-State to remove minute solid particles with the upgrade to wet scrubbers, low-NOx burners and baghouses, which have, in fact, led to surpassing compliance requirements.   

Nucla Station features the world's first utility-scale power plant to utilize atmospheric circulating fluidized-bed (CFB) combustion - one of the most advanced clean-coal technologies. CFB provides more than 70-percent capture of sulfur dioxide emissions and the station’s fabric-filter baghouse collects 90 percent of all particulates.

Each of our other facilities has been constructed with state-of-the-art equipment designed for flue gas clean-up and particulate control.