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"It's very important to get the community up-to-date" on improvements to the plant's pollution control equipment, said Xcel community relations manager Mike Hero, welcoming a tour group of about 20 people.
Contractors have been installing new equipment at the plant since January, and Hero said Xcel wants to open the plant to more community tours when the work is complete in November or December.
The tour for La Crosse County Board members and other officials came the day before environmentalists and North Side neighbors were to hold a community meeting to discuss how pollution from the plant might be affecting the community.
And it was two days before La Crosse County's Solid Waste Department's annual meeting and golf outing for area counties and communities that send their garbage to French Island.
Meanwhile, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is still deciding whether to approve a new pollution control permit for French Island. No decision is expected until late August or September.
Since 1987, Xcel has accepted an average of 73,000 tons of garbage a year at French Island, separating out the paper and plastic that is chopped into refuse-derived fuel, or RDF, which is burned in two boilers to create enough energy for 28,000 homes. The unburnable waste, such as metal and food, gets trucked to the La Crosse County Landfill, as does ash from the incinerator.
The plant also burns wood waste (chips and sawdust) from 18 local sawmills and railroad ties from the Upper Midwest, which are shredded by a separate company. The wood makes up about half the plant's fuel.
For several years, environmentalists have complained about the plant's toxic emissions, especially dioxin, which comes from burning chlorine-containing plastics. In the fall of 2000, attorney Melissa Scanlan convinced the EPA to reclassify French Island as a large municipal solid waste combustor, instead of a small combustor. That meant the plant was required to meet new Clean Air Act rules that went into effect in late 2000.
After negotiating a new contract with La Crosse County to pay for the necessary new air pollution control equipment, Xcel began installing it early this year. It includes:
In addition to $10.9 million in pollution control equipment paid for by La Crosse County, Xcel is investing $3.5 million in 20 projects at the plant, including new controls designed to help the boilers burn more efficiently.
Plant manager Mark Paitl said work on one of the two boilers is complete and the results are very encouraging.
For example, under its old permit, the plant was allowed to emit 20 percent particulate matter, also known as opacity. The new permit limit is 10 percent, but so far, the actual emissions have been 1 percent, Paitl said.
Stack tests for other contaminants like dioxins and heavy metals will be done in August, Paitl said.
Several county board members said after the tour that they were impressed with the plant, but some expressed skepticism.
"I think our investment is going in the right direction for taking care of refuse in La Crosse County," Supervisor Don Meyer said. "I'm certainly no expert, but it seems like (emissions) are going in the right direction. We have to control emissions for all the citizens."
Supervisor Donald Bina said he was hesitant at first about the waste-to-energy plant. "I hope it pays for itself," he said. "I'm going to keep an open mind."
"We're fortunate we have an RDF facility. Lots of communities have landfill problems," Supervisor Tara Johnson said. "It's an effective way to deal with the excessive waste" produced by today's society.
"I've always thought it was a good idea to reuse our waste instead of burying it, but I'm concerned about the emissions," Supervisor Sharon Hampson said. "They're telling us everything is fine. I hope so, but I'm still skeptical."
Xcel officials pointed out that the white "smoke" people see coming from the smokestacks is actually steam. Other contaminants aren't visible to the eye.
Xcel spokesman Brian Elwood said French Island gets unfairly singled out for its pollution because other solid waste incinerators do not have to report their estimated emissions as part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's annual Toxic Release Inventory.
Environmentalists used the inventory data this year to show that French Island emitted 28 grams of dioxin, more than all the power plants in Illinois combined.
In addition to the waste-to-energy boilers and generators, French Island has two 72-megawatt diesel-fired generators, which are used for peak demand times like the hottest days of summer and the coldest days of winter. Because of those diesel generators, French Island must report its total emissions for the Toxic Release Inventory, said Tina Ball, a senior environmental analyst for Xcel.
Ball said Xcel's Red Wing and Wilmarth renewable fuels plants in Minnesota do not have to report their emissions as part of the inventory because they don't burn coal or oil.
Reid can be reached at rmagney@@lacrossetribune.com or (608) 791-8211.
UPCOMING MEETINGS ABOUT FRENCH ISLAND:
WHEN: 7 p.m. Wednesday, July 24
WHERE: St. Luke's United Methodist Church, 1022 Caledonia St.
WHO: Lower Northside and Depot Neighbors group
WHAT: Community meeting with attorney Melissa Scanlan, executive director of Midwest Environmental Advocates, and Mark A. Kastel of M.A. Kastel and Associates Inc. to discuss French Island's emissions and their potential impact.
COST: Meeting is free and open to the public.
WHEN: 8 a.m. Thursday, July 25
WHERE: Fox Hollow Banquet Hall, N3287 County Trunk OA, Barre Mills
WHO: La Crosse County Solid Waste Department
WHAT: 2002 Solid Waste Summer Conference and 13th annual Disposal System Meeting. Morning speakers will discuss the French Island plant, landfill redevelopment and mining, and landfills vs, waste-to-energy. Golf outing in afternoon.
COST: $25 covers continental breakfast and lunch. Golf $20 extra. Conference is open to the public.
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