We Energies Wants To Double Coal Storage At Oak Creek Plant

The owners of Wisconsin’s largest coal-fired power plant want to double the size of its coal pile.

But, some people who live near the We Energies’ plant in the Milwaukee suburb of Oak Creek are worried that more coal dust may cause additional health problems in the neighborhood.

At a public hearing on Thursday, local residents said dust from the current pile could be causing cases of asthma, skin irritation and cancer. Attorney Pamela Ritger, of the environmental group Clean Wisconsin, said expanding the coal pile might only worsen these problems.

“Whatever issues are happening right now, whatever coal dust people are seeing, we are just assuming that there is gonna be more of it, because they are not significantly changing the way that they are controlling the coal dust and other fugitive dust emissions from that site,” said Ritger.

We Energies officials said their plans to improve a water sprinkler system or develop wind screens to contain the coal dust under severe conditions. The company said some of the additional coal at Oak Creek would come from plants that are switching to other fuel sources.

The state Department of Natural Resources has made a preliminary decision to approve the company’s permit application.