Advertisement
In a vote of 28 to 3 and 1 abstention, the board asked the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency to require an environmental impact study for the plant, which would generate energy by burning old tires.
The resolution is similar to others passed by Houston, Fillmore and Winona counties and other area cities.
"We're not taking a position for or against," said Supervisor Audrey Kader of La Crosse. Requiring a study "is the least that should be done."
Supervisor Shirley Holman, chair of the county's Solid Waste Policy Board, argued they didn't have enough information about the proposed plant yet to make a decision.
Tuesday, the MPCA Citizen's Board is holding a public hearing about the plant in St. Paul, which is why many supervisors did not want to delay action.
The plant would burn 10 million tires a year, making it the largest plant of its kind in North America. Critics have charged that the plant's design is untested, but the MPCA staff has signed off on the plan, saying emissions "are not expected to be very much different from other conventional fossil fuels."
The board discussed local wind patterns and whether emissions from the plant would be blown to La Crosse.
Supervisor Jill Billings said she's concerned about the cumulative effect of emissions from the Preston tire plant and Xcel Energy's French Island plant, which burns fuel made from La Crosse County's solid waste.
Prior to the board meeting the county's Health & Human Services Board and its Public Works & Infrastructure Committee voted to recommend the impact statement. But the Solid Waste Policy Board, chaired by Holman, turned it down.
Solid Waste Director Brian Tippetts said a tire-burning plant in Preston could create competition for used tires and lower the cost of disposal.
Supervisor Sharon Hampson, who proposed the resolution, said the Preston plant could take business away from a Wisconsin tire recycling plant.
"Burning tires can't be called recycling," Hampson said. "Tires can't be called an alternative fuel."
Voting against the resolution were Holman, George Hammes and Tong Ly. Mitzi Parr abstained.
In other business, the board:
- Approved the appointment of Tong W. Ly as supervisor for the 4th District on
La Crosse's North Side. He replaces JoAnne Scharpf, who moved out of the district.
La Crosse County Circuit Judge Dale Pasell administered the oath of office.
- Rejected a claim by several La Crosse County Jail inmates led by Jessie Bennett, who allege that depriving them of access to their cells, mattresses and pillows during the day amounts to "unjust ‘war camp' torture."
- Rejected another claim by former inmate Terry G. Dutcher, who says jail staff deprived him of needed medical care in November 2002.
- Approved an ordinance regulating private driveway access to county highways.
- Approved putting two advisory referendums on the April election ballot regarding whether the state should pay for human services and courts instead of local property tax-payers.
