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Jan. 31 work session called to clear up concerns about proposed power plantBy Barbara Brown The work session lasted about one hour. The session was called to clear up any questions the council may have had about the $28 to $30 million project. As proposed, the facility would be about 50 feet tall, 97 feet long and about 41 feet wide. According to Prairie Gen president John Jaffray, the generator would not run continuously, but would be activated about 15 to 20 days per year to compensate for increased power demands in the middle of the summer and winter. Area residents had raised concerns that fell into four main categories during an earlier meeting where Ed Benson and John Jaffray of Prairie Gen presented the request for the permit to the city council. Most people who spoke at the earlier meeting said they understood that more power may be needed in the state in the next five years ñ Prairie Gen claims the state will need up to 5,000 additional megawatts by then ñ but they are concerned about aesthetics, air quality, wildlife and habitat impact and noise pollution. During the Jan. 31 work session, city planner Al Cottingham said the council could stipulate what kinds of landscaping, color schemes and burming may be required to disguise the plant. Cottingham also said air quality should not be compromised if the generator is turned on because it burns natural gas to function. ìWeíre burning a fuel (in the generator) that the bulk of us are burning in our homes,î Cottingham said. ìTo my knowledge itís the cleanest burning fuel to date.î Residents were concerned that a change in the noise atmosphere around the planned site, as well as an increase of vibrations, when the generator is running, could scare away wildlife. Cottingham demonstrated for the council different decibel levels of a power drill at the Jan. 31 work session. He produced a decibel meter which indicated 95 decibels within four feet of the running drill. Standing outside the council chambers closed doors with the drill registered about 55 decibels. To put those numbers in perspective, Cottingham told the council that most conversations register around 62 on the decibel reader. Mayor John Pinnsenault agreed that a piece of machinery running at a decibel level lower than a conversation probably would not be uncomfortable, but added that conversations are sporatic. ìThereís a difference between conversation and steady, humming noise.î To better clarify what the generator would sound like, council members and staff of the city are planning a field trip to a similar power generator in Chaska. Cottingham told the council that the Chaska plant is expected to be turned on sometime in the coming week. Granting the conditional use permit would not secure building rights for Prairie Gen, based in Minneapolis. The council is expected to make a decision on whether to grant the permit at its Feb. 25 meeting. ©ECM Post Review |