Interesting day at PUC – Part 2
June 12th, 2009
Part 2 – Chisago Transmission Project
For the full PUC docket, go to www.puc.state.mn.us and click on “eDockets” blue button, and search for 04-1176 and/or 06-1667. The issue before the PUC was Taylors Falls’ Petition to Amend the Chisago Routing Permit because NSP was trying to route the line contrary to the specifics of the Agreement between the City and the utility.
It was a Petition from City of Taylors Falls, but the Order was off, and Pugh, acting as Chair (after Reha, who had been acting as Chair in Boyd’s absense, recused herself), had MOES’ David Birkholz start, and argue against the Petition. Hmmmmm… then after that, we did introductions and argued the Petition. It started with the City of Taylors Falls, Loren Canaday, past council member back when the Agreement was made, and Michael Buchite, current Mayor. Loren Canaday was in office and was an advocate for the Agreement, and he spoke about the history of the Agreement, and recommended “a small jog south of the utility corridor, which would permit undergrounding without harming the wetland.”
Bill Neuman brought in a letter dated May 29, 2007, from Commerce’s Birkholz, asking the National Park Service for a summary of its position, noting that the “opinion of NPS is critical.” and asking whether NPS DOES have significant objection if the transmission line is not undergrounded dto the river. NPS said that the routing should NOT reverse conditions agreed upon by Cities of Taylors Falls and St. Croix Falls and Xcel.
Jill Medland of NPS came in and spoke. She is in the Resource Management Division, in charge of Environmental Compliance and Permit Review. She gave some history of the St. Croix River Valley protections. She noted that Taylors Falls has done an exemplary job of protecting the river valley, using its authority and its will. She said that the way she reads the Agreement, they all advocated for the configuration in the Agreement, undergrounding down the high river bluff to the dam.
O’Brien asked whether NPS opposed blasting in the basalt, and Medland responded, “We have no reason to oppose that.”
Through out this discussion, I was wondering how they thought Xcel would bury the line down the bluff if not by blasting… EARTH TO MARS! IT’S A BLUFF! IT’S ROCK!
It was a tortured discussion, with Commissioner Wergin noting that she was not there for the decision, and the Agreement was in the record (implying, HEY YOU, WHERE WERE YOU ON THIS!). Pugh and O’Brien were pretty sheepish about not having addressed the agreement in the Order. I got it in the record, Exhibit 218, but it wasn’t my job to advocate for Taylors Falls interests, that’s their job, and where were they? But neither the ALJ nor the PUC took any note of the material terms in the Agreement and addressed consistency of the plan with the Agreement.
Bottom line – Motion to require company to make compliance reports, and to suspend the Petition to Amend, and that parties are urged to revisit the Agreement and if necessary, to invoke the Arbitration clause.
Passed unanimously, only Pugh, O’Brien and Wergin, as Reha was recused and Boyd was absent.
Interesting day at PUC – Part 1
June 12th, 2009
Yesterday was quite the day at the PUC, as Chinesey “interesting” as it gets. I heard them saying things that made me wonder if I were really awake (and it was doubtful, long evening, rushed morning to get there, snoozing most of the way up).
As I came in, the New Ulm wind project was up. I’d met some people afffected by this project at the Dog & Pony I did with people working for better wind siting practices in Goodhue County, landowners who had come all the way from Nicollet County, and whoo-boy, were they mad. They said that the New Ulm muni was wanting to build a wind project, and as there wasn’t suitable land, they wanted to go into Nicollet County and take it by eminent domain! HUH? Say what?!?!?
This MOES description from the briefing papers gives a hint:
The proposed New Ulm Wind Farm Project comes to the Commission with a somewhat sullied history and polarized positions between landowners within and adjacent to the project site and NUPUC. OES EFP staff is not aware of the Project’s history prior to 2008.
New Ulm has put in an application. It’s multi-part and so to get it all, go HERE and search for docket 09-178.
Here are the MOES Staff Briefing Papers:
As I got in, the New Ulm item had begun, and they were talking about eminent domain, the New Ulm muni’s plan to use eminent domain to get land to build this project, and here are some paraphrased snippets (count the number of times the term “eminent domain” is used, or “public purpose” or “question” as in “I question whether” and those sorts of words rarely spoken at the PUC:
(remember these are ROUGH paraphrased statements)
Wergin: questions whether eminent domain should be used. We have an opportunity to investigate. Questioned whether there’s a common practice to squelch freedom of speech (referring to contract provisions requiring support of the project).
O’Brien – asked whether there was “non-disparagement” language in the contract, utility said no, there was not (non-disparagement? How about non-disclosure? His choice of words was odd).
Pugh – there is a SLAPP statute, I sponsored that bill, if City attempted to initiate action it’s available. Great reservations if this may be forced through eminent domain. But we can’t legally stop it today, this is “acceptance of application as complete.”
Wergin – for eminent domain, a project must meet the standard for public purpose.
Reha – asked about public process, if and wehn draft permit issued there may be public hearings
Cupit – who gets notice per the rule – don’t have boundaries, some in circled areas got notice, notice should go to all potentially affected.
O’Brien – have to get the power to New Ulm, transmission?
Hartman – limited understanding, New Ulm working on interconnetion that doesn’t have to go through MISO queue
Applicant – there is powerline right next to these sites, or through spearate line to Ft. Ridgely substation about seven miles.
Hartman – MOES had applicant revise study area and did broad notification
A-1 amendment – applicant to submit map and legend
O’Brien – can this project go forward with current land rights?
Applicant – depends on conditions in permit
Wergin – don’t have a choice today, question whether we need additional piece for public participation.
Hartman – we can move forward, OES will bring a draft site permit to review, and Commission can determine what process
O’Brien – Public Advisor – speak to wisdom of project, there are 100s of projects with willing landowners, here it’s disputed. Ask Public Advisor to address this matter, Commission could ask OES to address.
Reha – Public process as she sees it is draft permit is issued and that triggers the public process. Will it be coming back?
Cupit – It will be back next when the draft permit is issued
Pugh – concerns about eminent domain issues, power different, our actions are taken as proof that public purpose exists, if it were to go forward in court, that removes the public purpose determination from the court process. Here, there will be a draft site permit, no analysis has been submitted or need to be submitted as to wheter there’s another way to do it, rather than eminent domain. We may be making a decision that has impact of declaring that it is a public necessity. I’d like to see other options, I know I can’t mandate Hartman to do that.
O’Brien – Accept permit, specifically not including public purpose determination
Puch – fine with including that, without that analysis, I don’t feel comfortable taking position.
Reha – supplement application, explaination how they came about this.
O’Brien – ask applicants whether there are other means. 1) not proving public purpose, 2) address reasonable alternative means to acquire renewable resource, then we can act in fairness to all. If we have authority to accept or reject, we have authority to require additional information.
PUC Counsel – could ask applicant to provide more information
O’Brien – whether they considered purchasing
Counsel – can ask, no need for CoN, this isn’t CoN, need to look deeper
Wergin – munis don’t have RES
Moves A1 as amended, B1, C and D – D = city to provide supplemental info regarding reaching decision re: generation v. PPA, and specifyting that PUC is NOT approving public purpose, that we have genuine issues surrounding that.
Ekness – recommend Dept. look at need issue and potential alternatives.
Wergin – adopt as E.
Passed unanimously.
If we can’t, we should be shot…
June 9th, 2009
Really, that’s what they said at a meeting where the operators of the Hibbing “biomass” plant were confronted with all the problems, dust, noise, neighbors fed up and bringing in the evidence. This is the plant that was violating its air permit and was fined and shut down,
but of course air permit limits were INCREASED and it reopened.
GRRRRRRRRRR. And when they were told to clean it up, given a deadline, they said:
Thanks to Charlotte Neigh for sending this in. Let’s keep an eye on this one! Ready… aim…
Commission vows to take action on dust, noise
Meeting draws more complaints from neighbors
by Kelly Grinsteinner
Assistant Editor“It’s something that’s going off in my head,” she said. “Something
needs to be done.”“Everything is so filthy,” she added. “I can’t clean it. We can’t sell
it. We’re stuck.”Linda Johnson imitated the irritating noise she hears coming from the plant.
“It’s sad when you wake up dreaming of WD-40,” she said.
“Keep yours on your side of the street, and I’ll keep to my side of the
street,” he said.
Garbage incinerator increase delayed
June 9th, 2009
Naries filter — A new use for a Homer Hanky???
Last night’s hearing was a start – the Minneapolis Planning Commission is thinking about the implications and impacts of increasing the “throughput tonnage” (makes it sound so innocuous) for the HERC incinerator, the incinerator right next door to the new open (polluted) air stadium. Care for some tire PM 2.5 with that hot dog? New use for “Homer Hankies?”
There was good representation of a number of opposition views.
For some who were not able to be there, I was also able to get into the record letters from (and will post if they arrive electronically):
Carol Greenwood – Seward Neighborhood
And some decent media coverage! From Fox9 News – check out the video with John Schatz and Andrea Kiepe testifying:
And in the STrib today:
Minneapolis may set limit on pollution from burner
Covanta and Hennepin County, for which it operates the incinerator, are seeking permission to burn an average of 1,212 tons of trash daily. The limit in the city’s original 1987 zoning conditions for the facility is 1,000 tons per day.
Read the rest of this entry »
HERC Burner Expansion in the news again
June 5th, 2009
Well, would ya take a look at this! I would guess that Minneapolis is getting the message that there is indeed opposition to this stupid idea…
Minneapolis pushes to burn more trash
Some opponents have urged the county to compost more garbage as an alternative to burning it.