From:
Carol Greenwood
Date:
May 22 15:57 UTC
Short link
In case you missed this.
Carol G.
StarTribune.com
Bill could throw monkey wrench into burner plans
*By STEVE BRANDT,* Star Tribune
May 20, 2008
A bill awaiting Gov. Tim Pawlenty's signature appears to make it harder
for a biomass energy plant proposed for south Minneapolis to meet city
deadlines.
A provision inserted by area legislators requires extra study by the
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency before it could issue a permit for
the Midtown Eco Energy burner proposed in the Phillips neighborhood.
The bill would require the agency to analyze past and current pollution
from all sources in the area of the burner. That's a change from normal
environmental review based only the emissions of the proposed facility.
Agency officials on Tuesday were unable to estimate yet how much time
the requirements might add to the permitting process. But a permit
wasn't expected to go to the agency's board for consideration until this
summer, and opponents of the facility could contest the permit then.
An option deal under which the city would sell land for the facility
requires the facility's owners to obtain all government permits by October.
"The gist of the bill is a vital step forward for how environmental
permitting happens," said area Council Member Gary Schiff, who has come
out against the facility. He said that case-by-case analysis of
pollution sources fails to consider the overall impact on a community.
Kandiyohi Development Partners, which is proposing the facility, said it
is still evaluating how the legislative requirement would affect the
timeline.
Craig Wilson, a principal in Kandiyohi, said Tuesday in an e-mail
statement that the city should consider factors such as the state
permitting process as it views its land sales option agreement with
Kandiyohi. Schiff said that Kandiyohi asked on Tuesday for a meeting
with three council members.
The city already has declared that Kandiyohi hadn't met one of the
conditions it set for the developer to exercise its land option, which
it attempted to do in late March. That condition required Kandiyohi to
obtain a commitment from a utility to sell electricity that the plant
will produce by burning wood and other biomass. The city has moved to
cancel the deal unless Kandiyohi produces such a commitment next month.
The developer has been negotiating with Xcel Energy.
Agency staffers had said at a public hearing that plant emissions will
meet acceptable risks, but opponents say that adding contaminants to the
arsenic and lead-laden Hiawatha-Lake area isn't acceptable.
Steve Brandt • 612-673-4438