County board opposes EPA power plant plan

The EPA has proposed to reject portions of the state’s plan to reduce nitrous oxide emissions and instead impose a federal plan that would require the lignite coal power plant in North Dakota that supplies power to members of the North Start Electric Cooperative to install additional technologies.

Critics say the EPA plan would not perceptibly reduce haze, have not been proven to work in such plants and will force an increase of electric rates by about 35 percent to local users. Instead, they say the North Dakota plan is environmentally sound.

That rate increase would follow an increase that went into effect in March that cost North Star members, on average, 17 percent more for electricity.

Dan Hoskins, North Star general manager, Steve Arneson, Minnkota board chairman, and North Star board member Julian Brzoznowski asked the board Tuesday to support a resolution asking the EPA to allow the North Dakota plan to remain in place.

The power co-op officials told commissioners that the EPA plan would cost an estimated $500 million to $700 million to install, which is on top of $420 million in capital investments for environmental upgrades already approved and recently installed at the North Dakota plant.

Commissioners said they would send the resolution opposing the EPA’s plan to the EPA, as well as to state and federal elected officials.

The co-op officials said they are in favor of clean air and water, but said the proposed upgrades would not improve visibility.

And, they said the rate increases that are sure to follow implementation of the EPA plan will hurt rural residents and business owners, many of whom are already struggling to stay in homes and survive financially because of the nation’s tough economic times.

Bruce Sampson, a former Minnesota Power employee, said the EPA’s plan is a result of campaign promises made by Pres. Barack Obama to “break the coal industry.”

He said the plan will cost jobs at local businesses and drive people out of Koochiching County because they can’t afford to live here.

“They’re killing us and they know they are,” he said. “It’s an intended consequence. I’m done with being Minnesota nice.”

Tim Roche agreed that the consequences of the EPA plan would be hard on local people. Instead, he said he favored rate increases that are phased in over time.

He suggested that the co-op officials use the unproven technology to make their point that the North Dakota plan will protect the environment and the people.

Voyageurs National Park Superintendent Mike Ward told the group that he wanted to understand all sides of the issue and encouraged the board and co-op officials to figure out a good solution for all.

He noted that VNP monitors air quality daily and said that data shows that nitrous oxide and other chemicals are showing up in the air and water at Voyageurs.

Commissioners agreed that the times have changed. Board Chairman Wade Pavleck said electric cooperatives and the government once assisted people in moving to and living in rural America. Now, he said the move is toward urbanization and preserving the rural areas.

“It’s destroying our ability to live here,” he said.

However, he said, it makes no sense to make stringent environmental rules for power plants in the U.S. when air and water resources are degraded by emissions from other countries which don’t have the same high standards.

Commissioner Mike Hanson said the discussion with the power co-op representatives is the start of a valuable relationship.

“Nothing is not impacted by the delivery of electrons,” he said. “Our whole future depends on cheap energy.”

He pointed to concerns about energy costs recently voiced by officials from Minnesota-based Polaris Industries and how it affects the company’s ability to be globally competitive.

Brzoznowski wondered how increasing energy costs would impact Boise’s paper mill in International Falls.