Posts Tagged ‘Minnesota’
Site of former Xcel coal plant in St. Paul to become off-leash dog park
>> St. Paul Pioneer Press
The St. Paul City Council approved a 15-year lease agreement with Xcel Energy for a fenced 7-acre site near the site of the old High Bridge power plant, which was demolished in 2008 and 2009.
Minnesota nuclear plant supervisor fired over faked drug test
>> St. Paul Pioneer Press
A security supervisor at Xcel Energy’s Prairie Island nuclear power plant was fired after he was caught faking a drug test urine sample, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission says.
Minnesota glassmaker says DOE loan delay didn’t prompt sale
>> Minneapolis Star Tribune
The founder of high-tech window factory in Minnesota is denying a suggestion that two years of government foot-dragging over a promised loan guarantee triggered the company’s sale to a French firm.
Minnesota wind farm opponents suspect Pickens backing out
>> Rochester Post-Bulletin
The intrigue surrounding the hotly contested AWA Goodhue wind project near Zumbrota continues to swirl on multiple levels.
Wisconsin regulators sign off on section of CapX 2020 power line
>> Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Members of the Wisconsin Public Service Commission on Thursday gave a nod to utilities proposing a $210 million high-voltage power line that would provide a third major grid connection with Minnesota.
Minnesota Commerce Dept. calls for coal plant shutdown
>> Duluth News Tribune
The Minnesota Department of Commerce has come to the same conclusion as environmental groups, although for different reasons, that some of Minnesota Power’s oldest coal-fired power plants should shut down sooner rather than later.
Wisconsin regulators to vote today on Minnesota-Wisconsin power line
>> Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Wisconsin state energy regulators are scheduled to decide the fate of a proposed $201 million, 345,000-volt power line linking Minnesota and Wisconsin today.
Minnesota biodiesel plant to move away from soybeans
>> Minneapolis Star Tribune
The nation’s largest biodiesel maker says it plans a $20 million upgrade that’ll let its Glenville, Minn., plant produce diesel fuel from waste fats and oils rather than higher-cost soybean oil.
Upgrade will cut mercury emissions 90 percent at Minnesota coal plant
>> Duluth News Tribune
Minnesota Power will spend $350 million to $400 million over the next several years to reduce air pollution at its coal-burning Boswell Energy Center Unit 4 in Cohasset.
Aerial photos show scale of frac sand mines
As you’re probably aware by now, Minnesota and Wisconsin are the source of much of the silica sand used in fracking operations throughout the U.S. The expansion of sand-mining operations has understandably let to considerable public debate, as well as moratoriums on mining operations in some communities.
Jim Tittle, a St. Paul filmmaker, is working on a documentary, “The Price of Sand,” which explores the impact of these mining operations on the residents who live near them. Recently, Tittle shared some aerial photos of sand mines in Wisconsin (posted here with his permission) that he shot as part of the project.
Below, the Chippewa Sands mine in Chippewa County, which was the subject of this report from American Public Media’s Marketplace program:
A processing plant near Chippewa Falls owned by EOG (formerly Enron), documented in this USA Today article:
The Fairmount mine near Maiden Rock, which is currently seeking a permit to expand from 789 to nearly 1,700 acres:
The Preferred Sands mine in Chippewa County:
And the Superior Silica Sands mine, also in Chippewa County:
Opponents say the expanded mining operations contribute to increased noise and road damage from increased truck traffic, and have raised health concerns about dust blowing from open-air sand piles.
Tittle said his interest in sand mining was sparked when an oil company bought land near his mother’s house outside Red Wing, Minnesota.
“I grew up playing on those bluffs,” he said.
Tittle’s film is scheduled to be completed this summer. He has interview clips and other footage posted on his YouTube page.
UPDATE: On our Facebook page, John Wawrzyniak comments: “You have sand and gravel pits all over the country. What’s the issue? They make awesome shooting ranges and trails for motor cross.”
That’s a fair point, and in these communities, sand and gravel pits have long operated without much controversy. What’s changed is the vastly increased scale and intensity of the operations – that’s what is stymieing local officials and stirring up opposition from neighbors. This video goes into more detail on this point:
