CHANGE, not spare change.

PROGRESS, not more unworkable status quo

What part of C-H-A-N-G-E don’t the Dems understand?

Methinks it’s the part that means they have to stand up to insurance companies, utilities, coal companies…

Methinks it’s the distinction between “democracy” and “capitalism” that eludes them…

This headline pops up, and Obama, take your Barney dance and shove it — the change that’s needed will not be pretty, it will not be accomplished by holding hands and singing Kum-bay-yah…

… urp…

Obama Urges Groups to Stop Attacks

Advocates Should Turn Attention to Promoting Legislation, President Says

President Obama, strategizing yesterday with congressional leaders about health-care reform, complained that liberal advocacy groups ought to drop their attacks on Democratic lawmakers and devote their energy to promoting passage of comprehensive legislation.

In a pre-holiday call with half a dozen top House and Senate Democrats, Obama expressed his concern over advertisements and online campaigns targeting moderate Democrats, whom they criticize for not being fully devoted to “true” health-care reform.

“We shouldn’t be focusing resources on each other,” Obama opined in the call, according to three sources who participated in or listened to the conversation. “We ought to be focused on winning this debate.”

Specifically, Obama said he is hoping left-leaning organizations that worked on his behalf in the presidential campaign will now rally support for “advancing legislation” that fulfills his goal of expanding coverage, controlling rising costs and modernizing the health system.

In the call, leaders of both chambers expressed optimism that they will hold floor votes on legislation to overhaul the $2.2 trillion health system before Congress breaks in early August.

For his part, the president vowed to use his strong approval rating with voters to continue making the case for sweeping reform, according to one congressional staffer with knowledge of the conversation. Obama also hinted that efforts are under way to discourage allies from future attacks on Democrats, according to the source, who did not have permission to speak on the record about the discussion.

The White House had no comment on the president’s call.

In recent weeks, liberal bloggers and grass-roots groups such as MoveOn.org, Democracy for America, Service Employees International Union and Progressive Change Campaign Committee have targeted Democratic  Sens. Ben Nelson (Neb.),  Mary Landrieu (La.),  Arlen Specter (Pa.),  Ron Wyden (Ore.) and  Dianne Feinstein (Calif.).

A fundraising video produced by Democracy for America suggests Landrieu is a “sellout” because she has received $1.6 million in campaign contributions from the health-care industry and has yet to endorse the concept of a government-run health insurance plan to compete against the private companies. The public-option concept, which Obama supports, has become a litmus test for many pro-reform activists who accuse the insurance industry of failing to deliver affordable, accessible care.

“Tell Senator Landrieu to support the people of Louisiana, not insurance companies,” the spot concludes.

Founded by former Vermont governor Howard Dean, Democracy for America argues that inclusion of a Medicare-style public option in health-care legislation is “non-negotiable.”

MoveOn, a Web-based political action committee that works to elect “progressive” leaders, intended to run commercials over the Fourth of July holiday criticizing Sen. Kay Hagan (D-N.C.) for her silence on the public option. But after she endorsed legislation crafted by Democratic colleagues on the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions that includes that provision, the group dropped its plans.

“This measure is the heart of health-care reform and is supported by MoveOn’s 5 million members, as well as the majority of the American people,” said MoveOn’s executive director, Justin Ruben. “With the support of legislators like Senator Hagan, we can come closer to our goal of making quality health insurance accessible and affordable for everyone.”

Health Care for American Now, a labor-based coalition of 1,000 groups, has organized a petition pressuring Feinstein to support legislation that includes a public option.

“We need a senator who is championing, not nay saying, the need for reform,” the petition says. “We’re hoping Sen. Feinstein becomes a ‘champion’ for the people of California and stands up for President Obama’s health reform.”

Richard Kirsch, who runs the coalition, said most of the group’s ads are educational or focused generally on the need for broad-based change.

“We’ve been promoting reform and yes, asking members of the public to contact their senators,” he said yesterday. “It’s all in support of reform.”

Feinstein said in an interview last week that she does support health reform but has concerns about the cost of legislation and the impact on her home state. She discounted the attacks as unhelpful and counterproductive.

Obama was joined on the call with lawmakers by White House health czar Nancy-Ann DeParle, though he led most of the conversation. DeParle and White House deputy chief of staff Jim Messina have been in intense negotiations with hospital representatives in the hope of extracting guaranteed spending reductions from the industry.

The NYRI line in New York was turned down, PJM has eliminated the Indian River, DE to Salem, NJ segment of MAPP, and TANC is imploding before us!  YEAAAAA!

This week, SMUD pulled out of TANC.  What does that mean?  It means SMUD is paying attention to demand and financing, YEAAAAA, and it means that over 1/3 of the project’s $$$ is MIA, YEAAAA!!!!

From the Modesto Bee:

Power project gasping for cash

Partners don’t see survival without a $525M transfusion

By Ed Fletcher
efletcher@sacbee.com

One of the largest public works projects in the West, a 600-mile high-voltage power line from Lassen County to Turlock and the Bay Area, is on life support after its biggest player abruptly pulled the plug.

A magnet for opposition from landowners whose properties would be crossed by the power lines and environmental activists, the transmission line project was promoted as vital to the region’s clean energy future.

A consortium of municipal power providers said the power lines were needed to bring renewable solar, wind and geothermal energy from the northeast corner of the state to power-thirsty urban areas.

On Wednesday, the Sacramento Municipal Utility District said it was pulling out of the $1.5 billion project, leaving a gaping hole in the budget. SMUD was expected to shoulder 35 percent of the project’s costs.

The Transmission Agency of Northern California, the project’s sponsor, has 15 members. But just five had agreed to fund the project’s environmental impact studies and, if ultimately approved, finance the project.

The remaining participants are the city of Santa Clara, Redding Electric Utility, and the Modesto and Turlock irrigation districts.

The Western Area Power Authority is a federal partner.

On Thursday, those partners grappled with questions about the project’s vitality.

Keeping the project alive means one or more of the remaining players would have to absorb SMUD’s $525 million share, or find a new partner to salvage the project, or even pieces of it, officials said.

Most of the staff and board members of the participating utilities contacted Thursday said they doubted the project will survive, despite the need for additional transmission capacity.

Tom Van Groningen, the Modesto Irrigation District board chairman, said he would “give serious consideration” to pulling out as well.

The likelihood of carrying on without SMUD is “very, very slight,” he said.

Modesto had expected to pay $300 million of the total project cost, he said.

The Turlock Irrigation District was a participant, but its interest was limited to the east-west lines between Tracy and Turlock, officials said. The district was not expected to pay for or use the more controversial north-south portion of the project.

The Western Area Power Authority, a branch of the federal government delivering power to governmental and nonprofit entities from federal dams, also has some limited involvement.

If the project is to live on, it will be the feds that save it, some opponents of the project speculated.

But that’s not a logical leap, said Randy Wilkerson, an agency spokesman.

“Western isn’t in the business of bankrolling transmission projects,” he said.

Partly a matter of outreach

Randy Fiorini, vice president of the TID board of directors, said he wasn’t surprised SMUD pulled out.

He said some of the project’s opposition, which has been fierce, probably can be attributed to the lack of initial outreach. Three tentative routes for the transmission lines were plotted on a map before stakeholders could weigh in.

“There has been so much controversy with the way the scoping was handled,” Fiorini said.

SMUD acknowledged difficulty with the process but said the public uproar wasn’t key to its decision to pull out.

Rather, SMUD officials said, a changing regulatory environment and how that might affect the financials was determinant.

There is talk at the state and federal level of changing the way transmission projects are placed and funded. Given the uncertainly, it made sense to hold off, said Elisabeth Brinton, a SMUD spokeswoman.

Rule changes could force SMUD to share in the cost of energy grid projects in which it is not directly involved. And it could force SMUD to share the assets it paid for, officials said.

“The game rules are changing,” Brinton said. “We are going to the game, but we don’t know if we are playing football, baseball or softball.”

Complaint - Xcel Comanche mercury emissions

Utility toadies are trying to diss the Complaint, oblivious, or too aware of, the hazards of mercury and the damage it does.   In Minnesota, we can’t eat the fish because of the mercury, and the major source is coal plants. Proof of the harmful impacts of mercury is the statement of the Mayor of Hoyt Lakes at a hearing regarding Excelsior Energy’s Mesaba Project, commenting about the expected mercury emissions, “Mercury? We’re used to it here.” Mercury is a neuro-toxin, and causes birth defects, decreased intelligence, etc., and air permits PERMIT mercury emissions, they do nothing to stop them.  There’s no excuse for continuing to spew mercury into the air, our lakes, and us. Kudos to those in CO challenging Xcel.

From today’s STrib:

Suit targets mercury pollution from Colorado plant

Associated Press

DENVER - An environmental group is suing Xcel Energy, saying the utility isn’t doing all it can to cut mercury emissions from a new coal-fired unit at a Pueblo power plant.

WildEarth Guardians says in a federal lawsuit filed Thursday that Xcel is violating federal environmental laws by failing to obtain the approval required by the federal Clean Air Act.

“Xcel Energy is plowing ahead to fire up its smokestack without first ensuring full protection of public health and welfare.That’s not only dangerous, it’s illegal,” said Jeremy Nichols of WildEarth Guardians’ Denver office.

The $1.3 billion unit, the third at the Comanche Generating Station, will produce 750 megawatts of electricity — enough for approximately 750,000 households. Construction is under way.

Xcel and state health officials say the company has a permit that sets limits on the unit’s mercury emissions.

Paul Tourangeau, director of the state Air Pollution Control Division, said plans for the Comanche Station include equipment to significantly reduce mercury pollution and monitor emissions.

Tourangeau said the state extended the deadline to July 29 for Xcel to update information on efforts to reduce mercury emissions. The update is required by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Minneapolis-based Xcel took part in negotiations in 2007 that resulted in statewide rules on mercury emissions. Xcel, Colorado’s largest electric utility, and other large power providers agreed to cut emissions 80 percent by 2012.

Colorado’s rules were approved as several states were battling the Bush administration over a mercury standard the states felt was too weak. Last year, a federal appeals court overturned the Bush administration’s approach for mercury reduction that allowed plants with excessive smokestack emissions to buy pollution rights from other plants that foul the air less.

The Obama administration is seeking more stringent controls on mercury.

Mercury is a powerful toxin that accumulates in fish and poses a risk of nerve and brain damage, especially to pregnant women and children.

About 40 percent of the manmade mercury pollution in the United States comes from coal-fired power plants.

Nichols said Xcel’s current permit for the new Pueblo unit will cut mercury emissions by about 65 percent. But experience with other coal-fired plants shows that technology is available to reduce the pollution by up to 95 percent, he added.

“They could be doing a lot better,” Nichols said. “The permit they have now doesn’t cut it.”

*******************************

Here’s another problem from Xcel’s Comanche plants:

Chemical spill killed fish in St. Charles river

Here’s the poop:

New Poll Finds Strong Public Support for PSE&G’s Transmission Line Upgrade

Jul 1, 2009 12:38 AM
Public Service Enterprise Group Inc.

A recent poll finds that the majority of people in Morris and Sussex counties in New Jersey favors PSE&G’s plan to upgrade the Susquehanna-Roseland transmission line to ensure reliability of the electric grid.

The poll, conducted by the firm of Luntz, Maslansky Strategic Research, showed approximately 3-to-1 support for the project, with 60 percent of those surveyed saying they “strongly support” or “somewhat support” it, compared to 22 percent who “strongly oppose” or “somewhat oppose” the line. Support for the line was equally strong regardless of the respondent’s proximity to the line.

“It is evident that most people understand that the existing line, which went into service in 1931, can’t be expected to handle today’s demand for safe, reliable electric service without an upgrade,” said Ralph LaRossa, president and COO of PSE&G.

“If we don’t act, Morris and Sussex counties, as well as all of northern New Jersey, could experience widespread brownouts and blackouts by the summer of 2012,” LaRossa said. “That’s not our judgment at PSE&G. It’s the verdict of the independent experts empowered by the federal government to manage the electrical grid. It’s a warning we take very seriously.”

The poll showed that 81 percent of the people in these counties see America’s energy situation as either a “crisis” or “major problem.” LaRossa added, “Most people who live in this area clearly understand the need to do what is required to maintain and ensure reliability.”

PSE&G, which funded the poll, is seeking permission to invest $750 million on the upgrade, adding a 500-kilovolt line to the existing 230-kilovolt line, within an existing transmission right-of-way. The project would create the equivalent of nearly 4,000 jobs lasting one year each, according to a recent report by senior economists at Rutgers University. And by relieving some of the congestion that drives up electric rates in New Jersey, it would help contain electricity costs for homes and businesses in the region.

The Board of Public Utilities is considering PSE&G’s petition to upgrade the line and is expected to make a decision by the end of the year. Public hearings were held on June 11 and 18 in Sussex County; a third hearing will be held June 30 in Morris County. In addition, the New Jersey Highlands Council is expected to vote on PSE&G’s request for an exemption for the project at its June 25 meeting.

The Luntz, Maslansky survey was conducted by telephone with 525 utility ratepayers across Morris and Sussex counties. The survey captured a statistically significant population of each county. To make sure the survey elicited the opinions of those ratepayers most likely to be affected by the project, the survey included an oversample of 100 respondents self-selected as living near the current transmission line, as well as an oversample of 100 respondents who lived in towns known to be near the existing transmission line. All respondents were registered voters. The survey was in the field June 4-11 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.3 percent at the 95 percent confidence level.

Let’s hope they gave Pawlenty a good kick in the butt to certify the election!

And that’s a good thing, because their SEC filings show that demand is down from 2007-2007, as it is everywhere.  It’s looking like utilities are unable to sustain their drive for long distance market dispatch, and if this trend is the reality, and their stock continues to be in the toilet, they can’t build their transmission dream — this is good news!  Chalk up one for the economic depression!

All of us participating in the Delmarva Power IRP have to make sure the PSC knows about the tanked market, after all, they’re addressing how Delmarva Power will fulfill its demand, and for sure we don’t need new generation (need different generation, to be sure) or any transmission.  As to needing different generation, it’s particularly important at this time to attach a requirement to SHUT DOWN FOSSIL FUEL to any RES.  Without that, they’ll just sell it elsewhere, and we won’t gain anything.

Here’s one example of how the economy can have an impact on electric infrastructure and market. Hot off the press — PEPCO may not be selling stock to finance projects, and the biggest project they’re looking at is the much-detested Mid-Atlantic Power Pathway, electric transmission known as the MAPP line.

And remember, not that long ago, PJM cancelled the part from Indian River to Salem, NJ, at the Salem & Hope Creek nuclear plants.  Here’s what it looks like now, supposedly:

HA!  THEIR MAPS DON’T EVEN REFLECT THAT CHANGE!!

MAPP - PEPCO-PJM Press Release May 19, 2009

The Press Release says:

According to Gausman, PJM has also reviewed the need for the section of the line that would run from Delmarva Power’s Indian River substation near Millsboro, Del., to Salem, N.J., and has decided to move this portion of the line into its “continuing study” category. This means that the reconfigured MAPP line will now extend approximately 150 miles from northern Virginia, across southern Maryland and the Chesapeake Bay, and terminate at Indian River. The change would likely reduce the total project cost from $1.4 billion to $1.2 billion.

(Emphasis added).  Hee hee hee hee hee — “… terminate at Indian River.”  No Indian River to Salem, NJ section.  Cutting a section out is just one more step to tanking the project.  What’s the point of a radial line to Indian River?  Some would say that “hey, there’s transmission there, it’s not a radial line,” but there’s NOT transmission there to facilitate the bulk power transfers coming in on a 500kV line.  The system there is comparatively VERY low voltage.  Others would note that the Indian River plant has two units shutting down, but folks, they’re the smallest units, totalling about 150MW or so, that will not make a big electrical difference, though it has a significant impact on our ability to breathe the air in southern Delaware!  Taking the small Indian River units most probably means that Bluewater Wind should have no problem interconnecting — lets see the interconnection studies with Indian River units off line!

Anyway, here’s the poop — and look at the PEPCO price: $13.39, about half of what it was a year ago ($26.25) (for month, YTD, year and 5 year, go HERE) If you look at the 5 year trend, it’s the same reflected in Xcel’s demand — everything goes south in 2007.  THIS IS NOT A “BLIP” FROM LAST FALL’S CRASH, this is a 2 year, nearly 3 year trend. (For Xcel month, YTD, year and 5 year, go HERE).

From PEPCO’s 2008 SEC 10-K, here’s their 2007-2008 energy delivery numbers (DOWN), regulated and default:

Here’s PEPCO 2007-7008 SEC 10-K info, 2006-6007, regulated and default - these numbers should be the same for the same years, and they’re not, what does that mean:

Here’s the PEPCO 2006 SEC 10-K info, their 2005-2006 energy delivery numbers (DOWN), first regulated sales:

CLICK HERE - PEPCO’s SEC 10-K filings for lots of years to do your own looking!

From Bloomberg:

Pepco CFO May Postpone Investment to Avoid Share Sale

By Katarzyna Klimasinska

June 26 (Bloomberg) — Pepco Holdings Inc.’s new chief financial officer, Anthony Kamerick, is considering postponing some investments beyond 2010 to prevent selling shares below book value.

Pepco, the owner of Washington’s electric utility, currently plans about $1 billion in total capital projects for 2010, mainly on the Mid-Atlantic Power Pathway transmission line and smart grid, Kamerick said. The completion of the transmission line, also known as MAPP, has already been delayed by a year.

“We have to balance, obviously, the need to make sure our system is safe and reliable for the customers,” Kamerick said in a telephone interview yesterday from Washington, where the company is based. “It’s a delicate balance.”

MAPP is scheduled to start service in June 2014 and will run from northern Virginia, across southern Maryland and Chesapeake Bay, to Indian River, Delaware.

Smart grids will be able to detect power failures and automatically isolate them, increasing the reliability of the power system, according to Pepco.

Pepco sold shares at $16.50 each in November and has had a 25 percent decline so far this year. The current price represents 72 percent of book value, or assets minus liabilities, per share, according to a Bloomberg calculation from company data.

Pepco fell 3 cents to $13.39 in composite trading on the New York Stock Exchange.

Kamerick replaced Paul Barry, who resigned, on June 12. He has worked for Pepco and its predecessor, Potomac Electric Power Co., since 1970, most recently as chief regulatory officer.

LS Power is proposing to put a massive 800+ MW gas peaking plant in Chisago County, right by the Chisago County substation.  This isn’t news for regular Legalectric readers, but the community is just starting to wake up.

This plant was the subject of a utility personal property tax exemption bill introduced by area legislators, Rep. Jeremy Kalin and Sen. Rick Olseen, and they introduced it without notifying local governments that they were pulling out a lot of much needed funding by exempting the plant from taxes (if local residents have to pay taxes, shouldn’t they?  How is LS Power special?).  THIS SAYS THE GOVERNOR VETOED IT.

When it came up at the county, and a Commissioner wanted to send a thank you to Kalin and Olseen, things got a little hot:

Robinson questioned a request from Commissioner Walker if there was consensus to send a thank you letter to state lawmakers for their efforts on the LS Power taxation exemption bill.

Robinson asked who on the County Board supports the electric station project? He wanted a vote that moment on the project.

Chairman Montzka pointed out that all Walker wanted was to let Rick Olseen and Jeremy Kalin know their work at the capitol was appreciated. The LS Power project is under Lent Township zoning authority and while there will be county involvement in wetland issues, etc. the permitting of the facility is not a county matter.

Walker said she’d be happy to just send a personal note if the Board couldn’t unanimously support official correspondence.

That’s encouraging, not everyone is toadying…

There have been meetings this week about the LS Power proposal, one on Monday for “stakeholders” it seems, and another on Tuesday for the public.   The one on Monday, well, we need more information… like, who’s a “stakeholder,” and who decides?

As for Tuesday, here’s a link:

July 23rd Meeting page

And will you look at who was there?!?!?!

Blake Wheatly - LS Power - PowerPoint Presentation

Bob Cupit - Public Utilities Commission 6-23-09

And I hear they’ll be holding another next Monday, so you should go if you’re interested:

Where?

When?

I’m struck by how the statutory reference on the “Friends” site is only to Chapter 216E, the siting and routing process, and worse, it focuses on the the shortened “Ram it Through” alternate review... if they’ve got that up their sleeves, they’ll need a whack upside da head on that one.  And if it’s shortened review, they have the option of “local review.” Is that the plan?  FOR AN 855MW PLANT???  GUESS AGAIN, CUPCAKE!!!

And so, welcome to the Certificate of Need concept.

Minn. Stat. 216.243, Certificate of Need

It seems to me that they had at least one similar meeting over a year ago, in April, 2008, looking at a snippet from Larry Baker’s page — who was regarded as a “stakeholder” then??

Citizen’s Stakeholder Workshop for the Sunrise River Water Quality Study (co-organized as President of Friends of the Sunrise River, with Jerry Spetzman, from Chisago Co. Environmental Services

LS Power’s proposal is moving along in the MISO queue:

Transition Feasibility Analysis — scroll down for G975

As you can see from the G975 chart in the study above, G975 has a few problems:

Here’s an earlier report from one of the three prior MISO queue’d projects for this location:

MISO Feasibility Study - G135

… and what’s interesting about is, first, they eliminated a reconductoring option because it was deemed too costly, not feasible, and here are the other options, starting with Option 2, p. 7 in the study above:

See that big honkin’ 345kV line that would have to be built?!?!

And for Option 3, p. 8:

More transmission lines to be built…

Either way you look at it, we’re talking lots of big transmission in Chisago land.

Whatever are they thinking?

On Monday, the Minneapolis Planning Commission had another hearing and deliberated the HERC garbage burner expansion.  The discussion of the Planning Commission was enlightening — here it is (it’s big, patience), just go here and click “download” and in time, it’ll be there:

Planning Commission deliberation on HERC

After which, of course, they voted it DOWN.  Denied.  No permit.

Thanks to the Planning Commission for taking a close look at this project!

Bob Norgord, a founding CAMPer, died suddenly on Sunday night.  There will be a drop-in memorial gathering for him today, like right now:

4-7 p.m.

Trout Lake Town Hall

24951 County Road 10

Bovey, MN  55709

I knew Bob Norgord through his work against the Mesaba Project.  Bob was always ready at the drop of a hat to get to an important meeting, go out to the Excelsior site in the woods to meet visitors, an enthusiastic, positive and hard-charging and effective.   An amazing guy… he will be greatly missed.

From the Grand Rapids Herald Review:

Robert “Bob” Norgord

1942 - 2009
Published: Tuesday, June 23, 2009 5:31 PM CDT

Robert “Bob” Norgord, 66, of Trout Lake Township near Bovey, died Sunday, June 21, 2009 at the Grand Itasca Hospital in Grand Rapids.

Robert was born in 1942 to Theodore and Dorothy Norgord in Trout Lake Township.  He grew up in the Trout Lake community and attended schools in Grand Rapids, graduating from Grand Rapids High School in 1960, after which he entered the U.S. Navy.  He later worked in residential construction until he was employed by Blandin Paper Company as a pipe fitter. After 30 years of service for Blandin, Robert retired in 1997. Robert was a supervisor for Trout Lake Township and a member of A.R.D.C., C.A.M.P. and was on the Western Mesaba Mine Planning Board.  He enjoyed fishing, hunting, woodworking, and traveling with his wife.

Now and then, it sure helps to win, and Neighbors Against the Burner is on a roll here!

Here’s Alan Muller, testifying about specifics, noting that the areas of greatest concentration shown in the “ballpark EIS” were NOT in the ballpark, and the City has not addressed these impacts in any way:

Muller’s HERC Plume cover letter

Plume Predictions from 2007 baseball stadium EIS

In the meantime, here’s his letter to the Commission prior to the last meeting with a graph showing emissions:

Muller - HERC letter

Rep. Karen Clark came in to testify about her opposition to the project, citing the impacts of pollution on Hennepin County, armed with graphic graphics showing how bad the situation is already, and testified about specific impacts in her district, the Phillips neighborhood, particularly arsenic impacts, and other harmful pollutants.

Rep. Frank Hornstein also testified against the project, as did John Schatz, Leslie Davis, and the most bizarre HERC cheerleading twit, Mary deLaittre, who has actually written THIS (be sure to check the links.. “unique waste to energy facilities, oh pleeeeeze, pass the barf bag)– PARAGRAPH BELOW IS LINKED TO SITE:

A HERCulean effort

Because repetition is our friend, we feel the need to re-visit HERC (Hennepin Energy Recovery Center) and extol its virtues again. We sense that many have been missing the forest for the trees with respect to our pal HERC. HERC is a neighborhood amenity that provides an invaluable community service by disposing of 356,000 tons of garbage a year for Hennepin County. This garbage is converted into enough electricity to power 25,000 households, or 1/5 of all the residences in Minneapolis. Not only is it a 24/7/365 powerhouse, it is also a green building, to boot. Powerful as it is, HERC could do even more. HERC’s operators cite the plant’s unused capacity, and desire to contribute additional steam/water heating and cooling for the North Loop neighborhood. Like any building over 20 years old, it needs a bit of updating. A proposed makeover by Hennepin County and Covanta Energy, originally designed by students from the University of Minnesota, shows how the building and grounds could be transformed. So, as a city that touts itself as being green and wanting to be more sustainable, we should be celebrating HERC and supporting its efforts to become a better neighbor and community landmark. Visit our expanded collection of images featuring unique waste to energy facilities from around the world.

I’m speechless… too bizarre…

And alsoin the bizarre category, Asst. City Attorney wrote an opinion as to the City’s authority to adopt more stringent air emissions standards, a blatant attempt to quash their desire to act, to LAWFULLY act:

Asst. City Atty. Memorandum re: HERC

It was a hoot that he cited, offpoint, from Jimmy Jam Harris’ tax case in Hennepin County — when I looked that one up, right below it was Terry Lewis’ tax case! I can’t imagine why he’d cite these cases, as they didn’t make a useful argument for his view of statutory interpretation or lack thereof…

Anyway, I had a few minutes to blast off a reply:

Overland Memorandum re: City Authority

From the article about it in the STrib, and note they’re clear about their authority:

“We’re well within our authority to say no,” Commissioner Carla Bates argued before the vote. Commissioners cited the admission of Covanta’s environmental director, Jeffrey Hahn, that burning more trash will result in a small amount of additional plant emissions, but he said that pollutants will remain far below limits set by the state. Hahn said the plant has already added some equipment and would add more to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions that are closest to the current limit.

Here’s the full article:

Bid to burn more trash near ballpark turned down

The Minneapolis Planning Commission, citing health effects, rejected Hennepin County’s bid to allow more garbage to be burned daily.

By STEVE BRANDT, Star Tribune

Hennepin County’s bid to burn more garbage next to the new Minnesota Twins stadium crumpled Monday in the face of skepticism from Minneapolis planning commissioners over the potential health effects.

The county had sought approval of a 21 percent increase in the daily average tonnage of garbage burned at the downtown facility. But on Monday evening, the Planning Commission voted 6-2 to deny an amendment to the facility’s zoning permit that would have allowed the burning of more than 1,200 tons of trash daily.

A majority of commissioners said they’re not convinced that increasing the plant’s burning of trash is consistent with a required finding that such an action isn’t detrimental to public health.

But the debate may not be over. The commission’s decision can be appealed to the City Council within 10 days, and it runs counter to the advice of the city attorney’s office. The county and incinerator operator Covanta Energy referred a reporter to each other on the question of an appeal.

Carl Michaud, the county’s environmental services director, said he needed to “go back and talk to a few folks” before commenting on an appeal. He disputed the assertion of planning commissioners that there was insufficient analysis of the plant’s environmental effects.

“We’re well within our authority to say no,” Commissioner Carla Bates argued before the vote. Commissioners cited the admission of Covanta’s environmental director, Jeffrey Hahn, that burning more trash will result in a small amount of additional plant emissions, but he said that pollutants will remain far below limits set by the state. Hahn said the plant has already added some equipment and would add more to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions that are closest to the current limit.

An opinion by the city attorney’s office warned that “anecdotal testimony that more throughput equates to more pollution which equates to bad health effects is not a sufficient basis to deny.” But commissioners also found that burning more trash runs counter to city sustainability and growth policies.

The burner was constructed in the 1980s with a state limit that it could burn an average of 1,000 tons of trash per day incorporated into its city zoning permit. The state cap was increased to the plant’s 1,212-ton-per-day design capacity in 2000. One of the legislators involved, Sen. Linda Higgins, DFL-Minneapolis, said that the intent was to make use of unused capacity, and that the plant burns cleaner than in its early days.

But the North Loop Neighborhood Association, which reviewed the proposal, said it would favor a 10 percent increase in the plant’s processing only if there was no increase in pollutants released. The plant generates enough electricity to power the equivalent of 25,000 homes and also supplies steam for downtown heat.

The county and Covanta relied heavily on a finding in ballpark environmental studies that the incinerator’s health effects are below levels at which concern for ballpark users would be triggered under federal standards. But opponents argued that health effects on a broader area of emission dispersion need to be measured and considered.

The Minneapolis City Council hasn’t weighed in on incinerator capacity issues for more than 20 years.