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Effort to Stop Power Plant Cooling Machine Continues

By: Ryan Schryver

The busy construction crews one sees on a visit to the Elm Road Generating Station coal plant near Oak Creek, Wisconsin might suggest that any controversy over the construction of the plant’s water-intake structure has long been resolved. The reality could not be farther from the truth. Don’t be confused by WE Energies’ ongoing construction of the controversial system - the fight continues over whether to allow the use of the environmentally-destructive water-intake structure that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. dubbed the “Giant Fish Killing Machine."

WE Energies’ proposed water intake system, called “once-through cooling,” would pump billions of gallons of water a day out of Lake Michigan through a 1.5 mile long pipe, should it be permitted by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR). Banned in Indiana and Illinois, once-through cooling systems kill millions of fish, shellfish, fish eggs and larvae by sucking them into their pipes or trapping them against their screens.

This system would increase the temperature of the billions of gallons of water it uses per day by ten to fifteen degrees before returning it to the lake, creating an ideal environment for invasive species like zebra mussels to flourish. These non-native species out-compete native fish and plants for food and habitat, threatening the ecological health and fishery of Lake Michigan.

Despite a state court ruling requiring WE Energies to use the best available technology instead of the once-through cooling system, the company continued to construct the system and is now asking the DNR for an exemption from federal law to use this out-dated technology.

The DNR recently released a proposed permit that, if issued, will allow the corporation to operate this environmentally-destructive system.

A healthy Lake Michigan provides recreation for Wisconsin families and boosts the state’s economy by supporting a thriving tourism and fishing industry. The Clean Water Act is in place to ensure actors like WE Energies do not unnecessarily damage invaluable water resources when cleaner technologies exist. This is why we continue to challenge this cooling system.

If we are to ensure a healthy Lake Michigan for future generations to enjoy, we must insist that the best available technology is used.

On Monday, June 9th, at 1:30pm and 6:30pm, the DNR will hold public hearings at the Oak Creek Community Center, 8580 South Howell Drive, to receive public comment on whether to allow WE Energies to use the once-through cooling system that will kill millions of fish and harm Lake Michigan’s ecosystem.

Please stand up for a healthy Lake Michigan by joining Clean Wisconsin at these hearings to tell the DNR that the majestic lake deserves the best technology available.

Ryan Schryver, Grassroots Organizer

Clean Wisconsin