Mexican Power Plants Allowed to Stay Open
A federal judge ruled Tuesday that two power plants built three miles south of the U.S.-Mexico border may continue operating for at least another year, rejecting requests from environmentalists who sought to close them.
In a 33-page ruling, U.S. District Judge Irma Gonzalez refused to revoke permits that allow power to be sent into the United States from the plants operated by Sempra Energy and InterGen near Mexicali, Mexico.
She said she would make a permanent ruling July 1, 2004, after further environmental reviews are completed.
The Border Power Plant Working Group, a coalition of U.S. residents and environmentalists, sued the Energy Department and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management last year, alleging violations of the National Environmental Protection Act and other federal regulations.
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