Legalectric

Waste storage meeting draws light attendance. (Monticello)

It?s scary ? a utility can apply to state agencies to store high level nuclear waste in Monticello, in Wright County, in a community on a site on a river and as the article above notes, at the Environmental Quality Board public meeting, only four people were not from either the applicant or a state agency!

This morning I met with Joan Marshman, one of Florence Township’s Supervisors, she’s been on the town board over ten years now, and she and John Wurst, now Chair, were on the Board when the township went through it’s own struggle with NSP’s nuclear waste starting in 1995. I represented the Township on nuclear waste issues. It looks as though the utility hasn’t learned much, because they’re proposing upgrading a 69kV line to 345kV — one that goes right over “Site P,” and John Wurst’s farm — the site chosen for nuclear waste! It also goes right through Mississippi Jewel, an “exclusive” golf course community in Lake City (p. 2 and 27, map of transmission line).

Anyway, Joan and I are both concerned about a nuclear waste ISFSI going in upstream from our river communities. Xcel?s Certificate of Need Application was filed with the PUC, Docket E002/CN-05-123 and there were only four Initial Comments and two Reply Comments filed! Here’s what PUC Staff had to say about completeness of Xcel?s Certificate of Need application to the PUC.

April 7, 2005, the PUC made the determination that the application was substantially complete and referred it to the Office of Administrative Hearings for a hearing (Docket No. 2500 16407). That hearing begins May 9th, before Steve Mihalchick, Administrative Law Judge. For more info on how to participate, check the Contested Case Guide, and contact the Docket Coordinator (612) 341-7448.

Comments on the scope of the Environmental Impact Statement are due April 13, 2005 – THIS WEDNESDAY!
Xcel’s EQB Monticello Nuclear Waste Dry Cask Storage Application is on the EQB website.
John Wachtler is the EQB’s project manager handling this application. 651-296-2096.
Quick, read the Draft EIS scope and email John your comments.