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December 20, 2007
Contact:
Mark Redsten, Executive Director
(608) 251.7020 ext. 12; Cell: (608) 212.7093
Peter Taglia, Staff Scientist
(608) 251.7020
ext. 27; Cell: (608) 217.8219
Alliant's proposed coal plant: a bad deal for Wisconsin
(Madison, WI) Clean Wisconsin today weighed in on the now-complete application by Alliant Energy to build a 300 megawatt coal-fired power plant on the shores of the Mississippi River in Cassville, Wisconsin.
"Given Governor Doyle's intention to address global warming in Wisconsin – as evidenced by his leadership in the Midwest Governor's Energy Summit held last month – this is the worst time to propose a coal plant with this kind of global warming emissions profile," said Mark Redsten, Clean Wisconsin Executive Director.
"Instead of reducing global warming emissions, the boiler design chosen by Alliant would emit at least 10% more global warming pollution per unit of energy than the current facility which was built nearly 50 years ago. Clearly, this proposal is a giant step backwards," said Redsten.
Clean Wisconsin noted other negative environmental impacts that would result from the Cassville plant if it Alliant's application were approved by the Public Service Commission, including:
- Biomass masking inefficient technology – Alliant has chosen to use a technology called circulating fluidized bed (cfb) which burns coal at a lower temperature and less efficiently than other coal plants. Burning the coal at a lower temperature means that the plant emits higher rates of global warming pollution than any other technology available to Alliant. The 10% amount of biomass that Alliant's application calls for will do little to decrease the plant's global warming impacts: the proposed coal plant will still emit global warming pollution at a rate higher than other coal plants in Wisconsin.
- Mercury pollution – Alliant's proposed power plant would pollute Wisconsin's air and waterways with up to 196 lbs of the dangerous neurotoxin, mercury, each year. (The Department of Natural Resources has issued a fish advisories on all lakes in Wisconsin warning the public that they may contain unsafe levels of mercury.
- Nelson Dewey State Park impacts – The large footprint of Alliant's proposed coal plant will have a profound impact on the area's recreational and cultural resources. Several of the options Alliant outlines in their application involve removing large sections of scenic bluffs in order to make room for expanded rail lines, including removing a historically significant stone wall.
- Endangered species destruction – The Mississippi River surrounding Cassville is home to the federally protected endangered species, the Higgins Eye Pearly Mussel. National experts use the area surrounding Cassville – "one of the most robust known populations of the mussel" – to research the endangered species and develop new techniques to help it recover.
- Mississippi River impacts – Alliant plans to transport some of the needed coal to the site via barge. When unloading coal from barges it is common for spills to occur. Alliant was recently required to dredge a large portion of the river surrounding the existing loading area to clean up previous spills. Using more barges to deliver more coal would likely lead to more spills and further damage to the river.
"Other states from Idaho to Kansans to Texas to Florida are making better choices for their energy future. Even in Wyoming, where coal is king, a utility scrapped its plans to build a coal-fired power plant more efficient than Alliant's Cassville plant, citing the risk of global warming emissions and climate change. Why should Wisconsin settle for the worst technology out there?" said Redsten.
Wisconsin's State Energy Priority Law lists coal dead last as an energy option.
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Clean Wisconsin, an environmental advocacy organization, protects Wisconsin's clean water and air and advocates for clean energy by being an effective voice in the state legislature and by holding elected officials and corporations accountable. Founded in 1970 as Wisconsin's Environmental Decade, Clean Wisconsin exposes corporate polluters, makes sure existing environmental laws are enforced, and educates citizens and businesses. Phone: 608-251-7020, Fax: 608-251-1655, Email: info@cleanwisconsin.org, Website: www.cleanwisconsin.org.