Line 3 – Exceptions to ALJ’s Report
May 12th, 2018
Today was the deadline for filing Exceptions to the Administrative Law Judge’s Recommendation for Line 3 Certificate of Need and Route. Here’s the ALJ’s Recommendation:
I quick filed an Exception on behalf of Association of Freeborn County Landowners, objecting to inclusion and objecting to any consideration of “System Alternative 04” or SA-04, because no notice was given to landowners in Freeborn County, and well, to any of the landowners along SA-04.
Friends of the Headwaters proposed SA-04, the only “System Alternative” proposed in the Certificate of Need proceeding. … sigh…. foisting it elsewhere is not a good strategy. Search their Exceptions for more info on their rationale – do a search for “SA-04” of this filing:
20185-142900-04_Exceptions – Friends Of The Headwaters
Are there others advocating for AS-04? Looking… it’ll take a bit.
System Alternative SA-04 is noted 139 times in the ALJ’s Recommendation, and is first mentioned on p. 24:
And the Public Utilities Commission accepted it for further evaluation, but no notice was provided:
But no meetings in the area — and still no notice:
… sigh… on it goes…
And regarding the DNR’s take on SA-04 (will find DNR comment):
Here are all the other references to SA-04 in order — the ALJ does reject it, saying it is not a viable alternative:
And then the ALJ considers comments:
The DNR comments are troubling:
Here’s the actual DNR Comment:
The DNR said about SA-04:
And back to the ALJ’s mentions of SA-04:
Due TODAY — Comments on HERC
September 11th, 2017
Get to it, folks. Comments are due TODAY! Here’s mine, and Alan’s, just filed:
in eDockets, go here to register, it’s quick, it’s easy, and you can post on Public Utilities Commission’s eDockets system.
On what? Xcel Energy’s latest plan (part of) to terminate and/or amend outrageously high priced Power Purchase Agreements on incinerators across Minnesota.
Comment period on HERC PPA Amendment
Just filed — hot off the press:
And check what Commerce DER is at long last admitting, that there’s a generation surplus and transmission is for export:
Not only is there no need, BUT THERE IS NO NEED FOR MINNESOTANS TO PAY FOR MORE TRANSMISSION! But that’s an argument for another day, another docket…
Here’s another snippet:
And check this conclusion reached by MN’s Dept of Commerce – DER in its first round of comments — that Xcel is double dipping:
Here are the DER Comments:
And Comments of Hennepin County:
From Hennepin County:
Comments on Red Wing Ash “Mining” Project
April 15th, 2017
The Tyler Hills Neighbors have filed comments on the MPCA’s Findings of Facts, Conclusions of Law and Order for Negative Declaration on Need for an Environmental Impact Statement:
Here’s the MPCA’s Findings of Facts, Conclusions of Law and Order for Negative Declaration on Need for an Environmental Impact Statement:
Why file anything? Well, there are three major problems:
- The MPCA states that French Island ash isn’t in the landfill, isn’t being dumped there!
- Their delineation of the Water Tank Mounds is way off.
- The project proposer changed the plan because there was a leachate issue, but now that they’re collecting the leachate it needs to be dumped back into the landfill to utilize the landfill leachate system.
This isn’t rocket science folks — how can you be so off on these things?
Lab USA Ash Mining – PCA says “No EIS needed”
April 7th, 2017
No surprise. BUT, many issues not addressed, and many comments not registering, much less considered, it seems. Minnesota Pollution Control Agency “reviewed” the Lab USA Environmental Assessment and Comments and determined that:
And the bottom line:
Here’s the full document, check it out:
Note they do not address the Water Tank Mound, which comprises much of the Red Wing lay down yard site, and there is no acknowledgement, much less characterization or use in modeling, of the La Crosse incinerator ash that’s trucked in, and something like 50% of that is old railroad ties full of creosote. Pretty toxic stuff, that creosote.
Something odd — if not for a little birdie, I’d not have known that this was issued, no service, no notice, nada. ??? Thank you, little birdie!!!
Comment Extension for Lab USA EAW & Xcel & Lab USA Solid Waste!
January 13th, 2017
Ask and you shall receive, eh? I’d not checked on this, was buried in other stuff this week, but LOOK!
YES! this is good because the MPCA did not release the primary documents until December 30, 2016, and there’s no excuse for denying the public time to review the Application, etc.
Once more with feeling, here are the Comments I’d filed on behalf of the Tyler Hills Neighbors on January 4, 2017, and Comments of Indian Affairs Council and Minnesota Department of Administration:
Comments -_Tyler Hills Neighbors & Exhibits
Comment Letter – Indian Affairs Council
Comment Letter – Dept of Administration
Note the photo at the top of this post — the Lab USA site is contiguous to the City of Red Wing’s laydown yard and crusher — and it wants to build its laydown yard and crusher on a lot that overlaps the Water Tank Mounds. Ummmm, no, I don’t think so!
I’m looking forward to seeing any additional comments filed by the end of the month.
A little birdie told me that there is a Red Wing business that could use “cleaned” ash, and I’d guess there are at least two… it seems the logical thing to do is to put Lab USA’s facility at this other business site, and everyone would be happy! Well, not everyone, but it seems a better fit. This is something the City should look into, because now that the City isn’t doing any “ash mining,” their dog in this has been neutered. We shall see…