DNR: university plant violating rules

DNR: university plant violating rules

	Published : Thu, 31 May 2007 21:13 By : Agencies Print this Story

MADISON, Wis. (AP) - An aging coal-fired power plant operated by the University of Wisconsin-Madison has violated the Clean Air Act by upgrading its boilers without installing new pollution controls, according to the Department of Natural Resources.

The news came just days after the DNR warned the same plant was violating the Clean Water Act by allowing coal runoff to seep into storm sewers that drain into Lake Monona.

In a letter dated Wednesday, the DNR told the university and the Department of Administration the plant committed at least three violations by failing to obtain construction permits and install pollution-reducing technology during renovation projects between 1998 and 2004.

The letter, signed by DNR official Tim Coughlin, warned the university could face fines of up to $25,000 per day if the violations are not corrected.

The Sierra Club has already made similar allegations of Clean Air Act violations in a federal lawsuit as part of its strategy to pressure the state into closing the plant.

'The Charter Street Plant has been using our air and our lake as a dumping ground for too long,' said Jennifer Feyerherm, a spokeswoman for the environmental group. 'Hopefully DNR's revelations that the plant is indeed breaking the law will be another nail in the coffin for filthy coal power, and a harbinger for a cleaner energy future to come.'

Last week, the state Building Commission approved spending $600,000 to study whether the 50-year-old plant and another state-operated plant should be replaced with cleaner energy sources.

That approval came just days after the DNR said the plant was allowing dust from its coal pile to spill into a nearby neighborhood. When it rains, the dust runs into storm sewers that drain into Monona Bay, a popular fishing and recreation spot. The university has promised to better manage the coal pile to stop the runoff.

The air violations stem from several construction projects on the plant's aging boilers. The DNR concluded that they were not routine in nature and therefore required the plant to obtain a permit before construction and to install new pollution controls.

A 2004 tube replacement project also led to an increase in emissions of pollution such as sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides, according to a May 8 memo by DNR official Steve Dunn.

The DNR said its investigation continues, and it has asked university and state officials to turn over hundreds of records relating to the maintenance projects and the plant's fuel use.

UW-Madison Chancellor John Wiley rejected calls to close the plant two weeks ago, saying the university was exploring ways to make the coal burn cleaner.

At the time, he said it would be unwise to convert the plant to natural gas because the university's other main power plant already runs on that fuel. Alternative fuels would likely be too expensive, he said.