Legalectric

…  showing up at a public meeting this week.  Yup, it was about a new proposed nuclear plant in Idaho.  He was told to leave and not to hand out pamphlets.  Jeez, I guess former Mayor Terry Lundgren is giving lessons.

Check the video here:

Anti-nuclear activist arrested

Yup, it’s getting hot in here…

Otter Tail Corporation’s Corporate Governance Page

Otter Tail’s David Sasseville (Lindquist & Vennum) said that they had no objection to administrative of their filings of June 3, 2008. What else did he have to say? Here’s his missive after I filed the mncoalgasplant.com Motion for Disclosure & Commission Notice; Exhibit A – Otter Tail Power 8k filing to, duh, have the filing disclosed and for Official Notice by the Public Utilities Commission:

This reply is submitted on behalf of the Big Stone II Applicants, and that project’s lead developer, Otter Tail Power Company. Ms. Overland’s communication to the Commission and the parties in the Big Stone II transmission docket regarding Otter Tail’s filing yesterday was inappropriate and unnecessary. Otter Tail has not formed a holding company and has not reorganized. Rather, it merely filed applications yesterday in Minnesota, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, North Dakota and South Dakota for permission to form a holding company. The SEC filing referenced by Ms. Overland merely reflects the fact that Otter Tail is seeking permission to form a holding company. Whether that ultimately occurs, and whether and how Otter Tail’s organizational structure changes, will be resolved in the context of the FERC, SDPUC and NDPSC dockets, and the MPUC docket that was created yesterday (No. PA-08-658). Under no circumstances will yesterday’s filing have an impact on the Big Stone II docket, or on Otter Tail’s ability to proceed with its obligations and commitments in that docket. Otter Tail’s filing is available electronically at the PUC’s web site. In addition, Ms. Overland and/or MNCoalgasplant.com may add their names to the mailing list in the docket to receive future filings in the matter. David L. Sasseville Lindquist & Vennum P.L.L.P. 4200 IDS Center 80 South Eighth Street Minneapolis, MN 55402 612/371-3237 612/371-3207 (fax)

Yes, the filing is NOW available on the PUC eDockets site. Go to www.puc.state.mn.us and then to “eDockets” on the left, and then to “Search Documents” and search for 08-658. Inappropriate and unnecessary? When the parties are making final arguments in the Big Stone II case and Commission is making a decision, it’s fully appropriate to nail down disclosure and notice by the Commission … sigh… and here’s my response:

Mr. Sasseville and all: It is my belief and the purpose of this Motion that: 1) this filing should be formally disclosed within the Big Stone II proceeding by Otter Tail Corporation/Otter Tail Power (as of your missive, it now has been acknowledged); and 2) this filing should receive Official Notice in the Big Stone II deliberation by the Public Utilities commission. It is unknown whether there will be any impact, and the Motion does not address substantive issues of the reorganization nor suggest that substantive issues be addressed in the Big Stone docket, just that it should be disclosed and receive Official Notice of the Commission. Carol A. Overland for mncoalgasplant.com

To which he responded:

Ms. Overland: Your email implies that the Otter Tail filing portends something the Commission should be aware of, but isn’t, and that such information is a matter of actual or potential significance to the proper determination of the Big Stone II Transmission Certificate of Need and Route Permit proceeding tomorrow. While these implications are unfounded, the Big Stone II Applicants, including Otter Tail, have no objection to the Commission taking administrative notice of any and all docket filings in matters before it, including Otter Tail’s June 3, 2008 filing, and assigning whatever weight to those filings it believes is appropriate.

Well, that’s good, “the Big Stone II Applicants, including Otter Tail, have no objection to the Commission taking administrative notice of any and all docket filings in matters before it, including Otter Tail’s June 3, 2008 filing…” which is the entire point! Get it out there in the open…

Otter Tail Corporation’s News Release Page – do you see a press release about this filing?

…so then I says:

Mr. Sasseville – My concern, again, is twofold, first, that Otter Tail disclose the fact of the filings to the Commission and the parties (I do not believe this had been done prior) and it should be in the record, and second, that the Commission take administrative notice of these filings. That’s all. Because you state that “the Big Stone II Applicants, including Otter Tail, have no objection to the Commission taking administrative notice of any and all docket filings in matters before it, including Otter Tail’s June 3, 2008, filing,” I trust that disclosure and a statement that Otter Tail has no objection will occur.. Thank you for your statement of Otter Tail’s position. Carol for mncoalgasplant.com

And so what happened at the deliberation, what’s happening right now? Who knows… Was this addressed? Who knows…

Here’s Queen Kenya relaxing with the Prairie Island reactors in the background.

WTF is with these guys? Can you believe it? I’ve spent a week now trying to get a copy of the application — the application for relicensing of Prairie island Nuclear Generating Plant. The company sends out a press release (CLICK HERE) and gets media coverage, I heard about it via STrib and MPR, and have been trying to get the application ever since.

Xcel’s Prairie Island page with nada about relicensing, not a single link

Here’s Monticello Relicensing Page – so WHERE’S PINGP’S?

Why do I want the application? Oh, just to check it out and see if there’s anything interesting. Like I need more on the bursting nuclear shelf in my office… but it’s here in Red Wing and I really should know what’s going on.

Oh, silly me, when I asked, I expected it would be like all the others. But NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO… first they resist, then I get word from both Chris Clark, King Grand Pooh-Bah Esq. at Xcel; and from Mike Wadley, Chief Broom-pusher, Plant Manager, and VP of All Things Prairie Island, that they were on it.

…. sigh… here’s what I got an hour ago:

Dear Ms. Overland:

I understand that you are interested in reviewing the Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant’s license renewal application. We have verified with the Red Wing Public Library, 225 East Avenue, Red Wing, that a copy of the document is available at the library for pubic review.

Thank you,

Kelli Huxford
Communications Consultant
Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant
651-388-1121, ext. 4967
Nuclear Energy—Safe, Clean, Reliable, Affordable

Ummmmm… I don’t think so…

My reply to poor Ms. Huxford, who I’ve not dealt with before, copied to the world:

It’s unfortunate that they put you in the position of being the courier, but once more, with feeling, I am not interested in “reviewing” the application at the Red Wing library.

I want a hard copy of the application that I can write in and put post-its on and write about.
I think I’ve been very clear about this in my numerous communications with NMC, Xcel and the NRC.

In numerous proceedings I’ve represented clients and been personally involved in state and federal administrative, legislative, media and court proceedings opposing Xcel projects (and in the Mesaba case working with Xcel), and historically, Xcel routinely produces applications for interested parties. Xcel’s and NMC’s resistance to producing a copy of this application is making me wonder if I should take on Prairie Island relicensing as a personal project.

If it helps, I’ll come out to the plant and pick it up, as I did with the SW Minnesota transmission study.

I look forward to having one in my hands SOON. Mike Wadley knows well where I live and can drop one off on the way to today’s powerlunch! The porch is open.

This is absurd to take a week to get this out. There’s no legitimate excuse for this. I’m losing my patience.

xoxoxoxoxox,

Carol

What is going on here? Whatever are they thinking?

Seems Mike Wadley, Site V.P. at Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant, heard the squeaky wheel, joined now by several other squeaky wheels, and will dig around and find out what’s up with the Prairie Island relicensing applications.  Sounds like one is at the Red Wing library.  I’m holding out for a hard copy, as I told him, I think I deserve on, each of the 4-5 volumes in a gold plated binder.  We’ll see…

.

Prairie Island nuclear plant, right here in my front yard. This is the best photo I’ve seen of the plant site, it’s stolen from Joseph Gonyeau’s Nuclear Tourist, a must see (and must argue with) site. Check the “about author” section and you’ll see he’s into not only nuclear, but dioxin/furans too!

Anyway, Sen. Steve Murphy is at it again, stumping for nuclear and garbage burning, which is to be expected because afterall, Xcel is his employer, those are the generator units here in Red Wing. But with such limited vision, he loses credibility when he says things like:

I strongly support the use of renewable sources of energy, but I still believe the expansion of nuclear energy has to be a part of the power mix. As a state, we need to encourage the expanded use of renewable energy resources that have been proven clean, like nuclear and biomass.

My home, his home too, is in Red Wing, and Red Wing is home to electric generation from nuclear and “biomass.” The “biomass” he refers to there is the Red Wing garbage burner, hardly “biomass” and hardly “renewable.” There’re really two incinerators in Red Wing, the NSP one right along Hwy. 61, and the city incinerator on Co. Rd. 1. Both spew lots of highly toxic stuff we should not be breathing. Here’s a report hot off the wire today from my favorite muller:

Health Effects of Waste Incinerators

Steve Murphy — you should know better… take the time to read this report.

Column: Flexible standard boosts clean energy

Steve Murphy, Minnesota District 28 Senator, The Republican Eagle

Published Friday, April 06, 2007

Clean, renewable energy has been a high priority for the Minnesota Legislature this year.

The first major bill passed this session was the Renewable Energy Standard. Under this standard, most energy utilities will be required to produce 25 percent of their energy mix from renewable sources by 2025. Xcel Energy, which provides half of the electricity for the state, will be required to produce 30 percent of its energy from renewable sources by 2020.

The standard is flexible in cases where a utility company cannot meet the standard without significantly increasing customer rates or compromising the reliability of energy delivery.

The Renewable Energy Standard was the result of long negotiations between members of the Senate, the Governor’s Office, utility companies, Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, and environmental organizations.

Through this collaborative effort, Minnesota now has the strongest energy standard in the country, while ensuring utility companies will have enough time to build the needed transmission lines and facilities to deliver reliable energy at a reasonable cost to customers.

Also this session, eight Senate and House committees on the environment, energy and transportation met to learn about the potential consequences of global warming. We heard from arctic explorer Will Steger, ecologists, and faith leaders. Steger told us the Earth’s atmosphere is warming at a startling rate and we need to curb the rate at which people are producing greenhouse gases. We heard about melting ice caps, melting permafrost, polar bears dying and ice shelves caving in.

The profound effect of the presentation led to other legislative initiatives that would require utilities to reach energy-savings goals and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

I came on board with the global warming issue later than most and was not convinced of its great impact until a personal meeting with Steger. He is known worldwide for his exploration endeavors and his promotion of environmental protection, so I was honored when he requested a meeting with me to talk about global warming.

The depth and breadth of his knowledge made a lasting impression on me. I challenge people to listen to him speak and not be affected.

I strongly support the use of renewable sources of energy, but I still believe the expansion of nuclear energy has to be a part of the power mix. As a state, we need to encourage the expanded use of renewable energy resources that have been proven clean, like nuclear and biomass.

We also need to promote cleaner technology, as well as hybrid and fuel-efficient automobiles.

We’ve made a great start toward clean energy here in Minnesota, and I am optimistic that bipartisan cooperation on this important issue will continue beyond this session.

Steve Murphy can be reached at sen.steve.murphy@senate.mn