Coal plant faces stiff opposition

Wednesday, November 15, 2006

An article by Carl Jaeger in The Badger Herald reports on hearings about the UW coal-burning heat and power plant:

The permit for the Charter Street coal plant is up for renewal, and University of Wisconsin students are taking the opportunity to spread environmental awareness.

UW Students in the Wisconsin Public Interest Research Group are taking advantage of this opportunity to increase student knowledge about the plant itself and about alternative energy sources. The coal permit determines how much pollution can be emitted into the atmosphere by a particular plant. . . .

WISPIRG, an environmental grassroots organization, said the coal-powered plant uses “dirty technology” and non-renewable fuel sources, which the group calls “outdated,” in a press release.

“We have a very dirty plant on Dayton and Charter,” Lauren Crane, a WISPIRG media intern, told The Badger Herald.

The coal-burning plant on the UW campus is the second worst sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide polluter in Dane County, according to the WISPIRG website. The site also said the UW plant pollutes area lakes and causes global warming pollution.