Call on MDU to Retire Polluting Heskett Coal Plant
Bismarck–(ENEWSPF)–October 1, 2014. Today, community members who fish, swim, and boat on the Missouri River joined the Sierra Club and the Dakota Resource Council at an event at Kniefel Landing to call on the Montana-Dakota Utilities (MDU) to retire the 50 year-old Heskett coal plant. The group expressed concern for public health, saying that the aging Heskett coal plant, located on the banks of the Missouri River, is not taking any steps to limit its mercury emissions. After the event, many members of the community took kayaks into the River to demonstrate the importance of keeping the Missouri clean so that North Dakotans can enjoy recreational activities safely.
The event comes on the heels of last week’s radio ads on KFYR-AM news talk radio and KQDY-FM “Hot Country” radio and an August petition delivery to MDU headquarters, both calling for the retirement of the Heskett coal plant and a transition to clean energy. A coalition of concerned citizens, the American Lung Association in North Dakota, the Dakota Resource Council, and the Dacotah Chapter of Sierra Club delivered over 500 citizen petitions to MDU.
“Right now, MDU isn’t being a good neighbor to the Bismarck-Mandan community,” said Wayde Schafer, Dacotah Chapter of the Sierra Club Chair. “Some of the very reasons why North Dakotans choose to live here is so that we can fish in our rivers and breathe clean air. It makes it all the more important for MDU to respect our way of life and stop mercury pollution from Heskett coal plant.”
Mercury pollution is a powerful neurotoxin that is of particular concern to women who are pregnant or thinking of becoming pregnant, as exposure to mercury through eating contaminated fish can cause developmental problems, learning disabilities, and delayed onset of walking and talking in babies and infants. According to a study by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, just a small drop of mercury is enough to contaminate a 20-acre lake, making fish unsafe to eat.
“Dakota Resource Council is calling on MDU to transition the Heskett power plant away from the use of coal and develop clean energy sources to meet Bismarck/Mandan’s energy needs,” said Marie Hoff, Past-Chair of Dakota Resource Council.
North Dakota is using a small percentage of its wind energy resources. According to the American Wind Energy Association, North Dakota has the 6th best wind resource in the U.S., and wind power could provide more than 230 times the state’s current electricity needs. Meanwhile, North Dakota ranks last in energy efficiency investments compared to every other state in the country. MDU offers significant energy efficiency savings for its customers in Montana, but currently offers nothing in North Dakota.
Source: sierraclub.org
