Defender Fall 2012
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Victory in the Valley We Energies to convert Valley Power Plant to cleaner natural gas
“If I had a dollar for every time I saw a student take out an inhaler, I could retire now.” That’s what Milwaukee schoolteacher Steven Shea told the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources in November 2010 at a public hearing about the Valley Power Plant. Mr. Shea was just one of hundreds of residents who showed up to tell his story.
Nonprofit Org U.S. Postage PAID Permit No. 1291 Madison, WI
By Sam Weis & Katy Walter
He was joined by mothers with children who suffer from frequent and severe asthma attacks, pediatricians who see long lines of children with respiratory problems caused by air pollution, fathers whose children cannot play outside because of dirty air, and many more. Today we are happy to report that as the result of years of hard work by many people and organizations across the state, including Clean Wisconsin, the people of downtown Milwaukee can look forward to a cleaner, healthier future as We Energies announced in August that it will apply to convert the coal-burning Valley Power Plant to cleaner natural gas. For decades, the Valley Power Plant’s owner, We Energies, upgraded suburban plants while it neglected Valley, despite its location in the heart of downtown Milwaukee. The plant diminished air quality and contributed to health problems for thousands of residents like Mr. Shea’s students, many of whom don’t have the resources to obtain adequate health care. This monumental victory has been in the making for years; Clean Wisconsin first targeted Valley for cleanup more than 10 years ago. At that time, we objected to a settlement agreement made between We Energies and the Environmental Protection Agency, which called for the cleanup of other Milwaukee coal plants but not Valley. Although we brought in experts to show why Valley should also be cleaned up, the judge allowed We Energies to continue operating the dirty plant.
Fast-forward to 2010
It was another legal opportunity that got the ball rolling again with Valley. In early 2010, we discovered that Valley’s air permit, which sets the amount of pollution allowed to come from the plant, had expired. Clean Wisconsin and Sierra Club filed a petition to compel the DNR to issue a new air permit. DNR agreed to set a timeline for issuing a new permit, and the public input process began. As our attorneys worked hard in the courts, Clean Wisconsin’s organizing and communications departments worked on the ground to help build a coalition of engaged residents ready to fight to clean up Valley. The plant sits in the middle of the most populated area of the state and is located between two low-income communities of color. Deeply affected by the pollution coming from the plant, many in the community were ready to take action.
Clean Wisconsin 634 W. Main St., #300 Madison, WI 53703-2500
See “Victory” on page 5
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