Minnkota Says Power Plant Emissions OK

Minnkota Says Power Plant Emissions OK

Jul 20 - Bismarck Tribune

Minnkota Power Cooperative officials say the utility's coal- burning power plant near Center does not have emission problems, despite the possibility of legal action by federal regulators.

The scrutiny of the Environmental Protection Agency "makes it sound like we're among the nation's biggest polluters, and we're not," said Mike Nisbet, spokesman for the Grand Forks-based utility. "We have not had any increases in emissions."

The EPA is considering action against nearly two dozen utilities nationwide for allegedly violating air pollution rules. Minnkota, which owns the Milton R. Young plant eight miles southeast of Center, is on the list of utilities obtained by the Associated Press.

The EPA says the clean air violations stem from federal regulations that went into effect in 1998. They call for additional emission controls at plants when certain improvements are made.

The Bush administration has criticized the Clinton-era regulations and tried to make them less burdensome to the industry. They are the subject of a court battle, but the EPA has said it is moving forward with possible lawsuits.

Critics say utilities are being forced to install expensive new pollution controls when they do routine plant maintenance.

Minnkota environmental manager John Graves said that utility's case involves routine boiler tube replacements at its plant. Heat from burning coal moves through the tubes as steam and powers turbines that produce electricity.

"What is going on now is very similar to the EPA allowing you to routinely change spark plugs in your automobile ... (but) if you change those spark plugs on your automobile, you need to get an upgraded catalytic converter," Graves said.

Wayde Schafer, a spokesman for the Sierra Club, said the intent of the 1998 regulations was to get older plants to make improvements.

"What they were saying is, 'Anytime you're going to do repairs or make improvements, at that point you needed to upgrade,'" he said. "We support that.

"(Utilities) are just dragging their feet," Schafer said.

Terrence Kardong, chairman of the energy policy committee of the Dickinson-based Dakota Resource Council, said that group also believes that older power plants need pollution control upgrades.

"We've been fighting with them for years over this question," he said.

Graves said Minnkota received a notice of violation in 2002 and has been working with regulators on the matter since.

"This is really nothing new that showed up," he said. "We have been discussing this issue with the EPA in an effort to resolve it, and we will continue to do so."

The plant is in compliance with the federal Clean Air Act, Graves said.

Minnkota supplies wholesale power to 11 cooperatives in eastern North Dakota and northwestern Minnesota, which in turn supply about 117,000 customers.

Minneapolis-based Xcel Energy, which serves customers in eastern North Dakota, also is on the EPA list. Company officials have said they have received no indication that the EPA is pursuing action against Xcel, and that the utility has a solid environmental record.

The EPA says no decision has been made on whether to actually pursue the cases against the utilities on the list, and some cases may be settled before going to court or dropped. The Justice Department will have the final say.

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