The City of Madison Commission on the Environment will hold a public meeting Monday, Dec. 12 to discuss a particularly controversial Madison power plant.
The Blount Street power plant on Madison's east side is drawing criticism from area environmental groups as concerns surrounding the plant's impact on Madison's air quality gain increasing attention.
The coal-burning plant, operated by Madison Gas and Electric, has met with opposition from groups like the Sierra Club, which has called the plant a detriment to public health and the environment. According to Dr. Ann Behrmann of Madison's Physicians for Social Responsibility, the Blount Street plant burns plastics and other garbage for fuel.
Jennifer Feyerherm of the Sierra Club also voiced concern about the plant.
'The Blount Street plant has no scrubbers installed, which could eliminate up to 90 percent of harmful pollutants,' she said.
Scrubbers act to filter sulfur dioxide out of power plant emissions. But Ed Newman of northern Wisconsin energy company Wisconsin Public Service said that scrubbers are not installed in any Wisconsin power plants.
According to Steve Kraus, Media Relations Manager for MG&E, the Blount Street plant was updated in the late 1990s. New features include low nitrous oxide burners that reduce emissions up to 40 percent and new coal handling systems aimed at preventing dust from escaping into the air. Krause admitted that MG&E does burn waste for fuel, but claimed it was a benefit to the environment. 'We use tested and approved paper byproducts of the manufacturing process from items like diapers and paper towel to mix in with the coal,' he said. 'This reduces the amount of coal being burned and waste going into landfills.'
MG&E's presentation will focus largely on future plans for the plant, which Krause hopes will correct public misconceptions.
'By March of next year, MG&E is going to release a comprehensive plan for the Blount plant that goes to 2015 to address the plant and its operation,' Kraus said.
Tom Roushar, who will be presenting on behalf of the Department of Natural Resources, said the Blount Street plant has met all of its emissions requirements. He characterized the DNR's relationship with MG&E as a 'cooperative working agreement.' According to Roushar, the Blount Street plant's emissions are small when compared to other power plants. However, he noted the relatively old Blount Street plant follows a different set of rules than more modern plants.
