"If it sounds too good to be true, maybe it is.

Friday, December 03, 1999

"If it sounds too good to be true, maybe it is."

That was the message of Terry Wilson, a Sargeant Township resident, who is concerned about the prospect of Great River Energy bringing a 445-megawatt natural gas-fired power generation facility to nearby Pleasant Valley Township.

Wilson and her husband, Lance, live only 2 1/2 miles from the proposed site.

On Thursday, Wilson visited with the Mower County Board of Commissioners to express her concerns and ask the county board’s attention.

GRE of Elk River is seeking local and state authorities’ approval for a facility that will consist of three simple cycle combustion turbines. The primary fuel for the facility will be natural gas chosen for its low air emissions and ready availability.

Fuel will be delivered to the site via the Northern Natural Gas pipeline which runs across the northern tier of Mower County townships near the proposed site.

To her credit, Wilson first said there are "positives" about the project not the least of which is the estimated $1 million in property taxes GRE will pay Dodge County and the Hayfield School District and Mower County.

So, what does concern Wilson? She said GRE will take water from the aquifer that "could affect the shallow wells in the area."

Also, she is concerned about the noise levels when the plant is in operation.

"There are going to be property devaluations, too, but I guess the biggest concern is the wear and tear on the county roads," she said.

Another big concern of Wilson’s is fire safety and the 860,000 diesel fuel tank on site.

She asked the county commissioners to "encourage Great River to continue to work to resolve the problems and concerns of citizens near the site."

Wilson also invited the county board to send representatives on a tour of a similar facility and Ray Tucker, 2nd District, and Dave Hillier, 3rd District, told her they have been designated to represent the Mower County Board on the trip.

They also told Wilson of a Tuesday, Dec. 14, informational meeting at the Mower County government center, where GRE representatives are scheduled to meet with the Mower County Planning Commission.

GRE has not yet filed a conditional use permit petition with the county planning department. When that is done, the planning commission will go through the same process it uses for any other petition.