Although this isn't directly a bicycling issue, I know there are many on this list that are concerned about both climate change and air quality.
There will be a meeting tomorrow, Tuesday, June 17 regarding options for the downtown and campus power and heating plants, especially the Capitol plant next door to MG&E's Blount St plant and the Charter St plant. This feasibility study and public meeting is the result of a suit filed by the Sierra Club. There was a story in the State Journal today to give you some background: http://www.madison.com/wsj/home/local/291701 The meeting will start at 5:30 PM, and will be held in Rm 1106 of Mechanical Engineering, 1513 University Avenue. More information about the hearing, plus the entire available report (more on that below) can be found here: http://www.doa.state.wi.us/section.asp?linkid=146&locid=4 In addition, if you have questions about what this is all about, there is a pre-meeting tonight: What are the options? What is the plan? You can learn more about the process, review the Draft Feasibility Study, and prepare for the Town Hall meeting at a Pre-meeting Primer the day before the Town Hall. Please join us! Pre-Meeting Primer Monday, June 16th, 6:30 pm Neighborhood House Community Center 29 South Mills Street I have written a statement from a number of alders and county board members. We are trying to get someone to read this statement into the record tomorrow, as the meeting is being held at the same time as the Council meeting. The points that everyone should be aware of, and I am making in the letter are: 1. The report available now is incomplete. We feel that the public should get a chance to comment on the full report, and another public hearing should be held once the report is finished. 2. 100% biomass was considered for the other state heating and power plants, but not Charter St. The current proposal is a hybrid plant that could burn biomass, but also coal. 3. If the Charter St plant is designed to be able to burn coal as well s biomass, the UW will have to include all sorts of expensive pollution controls. These will not be as expensive or some not required at all should coal be eliminated as a fuel source at this location. 4. The coal plant may look cheaper now, but when carbon offsets or taxes are added in the future, coal is going to be considerably more expensive. 5. Dane County is already in EPA non-attainment for small particulate matter (PM 2.5), whether we are declared a non-attainment area or not. We need to build the cleanest plant possible for a facility that will be located in the heart of the city. Please let me know if you have questions. I will likely be at home most of Monday and Tuesday day, but have meetings in the evening. Robbie 233-1390 (h) _______________________________________________ Bikies mailing list [email protected] http://www.danenet.org/mailman/listinfo/bikies
