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But the environmental group that has pushed for the new pollution measures is criticizing the pace of the upgrade and a proposal to temporarily exempt the facility from emissions limits while it runs tests for the new equipment.
The $10.9 million project is designed to bring the French Island plant into compliance with the Clean Air Act. The United States Environmental Protection Agency and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources have taken legal actions against Xcel for air-quality violations. The group Wisconsin's Environmental Decade also has filed suit.
La Crosse County has agreed to pay Xcel $10.9 million for the improvements as a part of its contract, which has been extended through 2023.
The French Island plant, built in the 1940s to burn coal, has two steam generating boilers that were converted to burn a mix of refuse-derived fuel and waste wood chips during the 1980s. The steam powers turbines used to generate electricity.
In December, Xcel shut down one of the boilers and demolished the unit's old pollution control baghouse to make room for new pollution control equipment, said Mike Herro, Xcel's community relations manager for La Crosse. That boiler should be back in operation by June.
Later this month, Xcel plans to conduct several days of tests on the other boiler, which will continue to operate until June. It then will be taken out of service for approximately six months to have new pollution control equipment installed.
"They want to play with the equipment and see what size equipment they need to purchase" for the new pollution controls, said Tom Stibbe, a Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources environmental engineer.
The DNR has proposed exempting Xcel from its air pollution control permit during the tests. The DNR published a legal notice in Friday's Tribune, asking for written comments on the proposal. Depending on the comments, the DNR also might hold a public hearing.
Stibbe said Xcel needs to test methods to control emissions of nitrous oxide gases. The plant will be burning at a higher rate than normally permitted - 120 pound of fuel per hour instead of 108 pounds per hour, Stibbe said.
Also during the test, the plant will be burning 70 percent refuse-derived fuel and 30 percent waste wood chips, rather than the normal 50-50 mix.
The DNR has determined the increased dioxin, mercury and sulfur dioxide emissions are not a significant hazard to public health. Stibbe said he is comfortable with the permit exception for testing one boiler because the plant is permitted to operate both boilers at the same time, which produce more pollution than the one alone.
But Melissa Scanlan, executive director of Midwest Environmental Advocates, questioned the DNR's reasoning. She also is the attorney representing Wisconsin's Environmental Decade, which sued Xcel over Clean Air Act violations.
"When the EPA has told us that existing levels of dioxin in our food present a one in 1,000 to one in 10,000 risk of getting cancer, it is unclear how the DNR could say that dioxin emissions are not a significant hazard to public health," she said.
Having only one boiler operating during the coming year "should not significantly impact" waste disposal in the La Crosse area, said Brian Tippetts, La Crosse County's solid waste director.
Tippetts said French Island often operates on one boiler only when the other is shut down for maintenance. The plant might need to store waste temporarily or burn around the clock at times to keep up with the flow, he said, especially in the summer when more waste is generated.
Scanlan, who is responsible for getting the EPA to reclassify French Island as a large combustor, expressed frustration with the delays in getting the French Island plant into compliance. She said EPA requires all large facilities to control nitrous oxide emissions.
"French Island should have been using this technology since December of 2000," Scanlan said. "Instead, here we are in 2002, and they are just starting to test the technology. How many days of violating the Clean Air Act is La Crosse going to put up with?"
The EPA found Xcel in violation of the Clean Air Act last March but has not taken enforcement action. Representatives of the EPA and Xcel met before Thanksgiving, but "we haven't resolved the issue yet," said Bill Omohundro, an EPA public affairs officer.
Scanlan said Wisconsin's Environmental Decade is waiting to see what EPA does.
"Unfortunately, EPA is taking a long time to formulate its position," Scanlan said. "The best-case scenario would be to have the government enforce (the Clean Air Act) without citizens having to get involved."
If the EPA doesn't resolve the violations to the environmentalists' satisfaction, Scanlan said, her clients will proceed with their lawsuit.
Reid can be reached at rmagney@@lacrossetribune.com or (608) 791-8211.
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