DNR: Coal And Magnetite Found Along Lake Michigan Not From We Energies

In November, a resident who lives near the shores of Lake Michigan saw chunks of coal and a metallic sandy material. The DNR's final report said that given the make-up of the substances, it didn't come from We Energies.

Department of Natural Resource officials say the chunks of coal and a powdery metallic substance that washed up along the shore of Lake Michigan last November didn't come from We Energies, according to a story in the Journal Times. The DNR's findings are consistent with the preliminary findings, which at the time had found that the black sandy substance was magnetite and the chunky objects were coal. But the question remained - because of its proximity to the We Energies Oak Creek Power Plant and the bluff collapse in 2011 - where did these substances come from? According to the Journal Times story, the coal "was burned years ago" and "is likely either coal that was burned by a power plant years ago or from a coal-fired vessel, like the …

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Driver Hits Guardrail at Power Plant, Ditches Car in Caledonia

Oak Creek officers arrested a Greenfield woman at her home after she initially lied about whether she drove the vehicle, according to a police report.

Oak Creek police arrested a 49-year-old Greenfield woman who struck a guardrail at the We Energies power plant and later abandoned her vehicle in Caledonia, according to police reports. Officers were called to the We Energies property on Elm Road about 1:50 a.m. Feb. 14 after an employee reported a driver who seemed intoxicated. After the employee told the woman to park her vehicle, the woman instead backed into a guardrail and headed southbound on Chicago Road, according to a police report. Caledonia police found her vehicle unoccupied and stuck in a snowbank near a cul-de-sac on Seven Mile Road. The car still had the keys in the ignition, police said. An Oak Creek police sergeant called the listed owner of the vehicle, who said she was …

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Oak Creek Power Plant on Polluter List; We Energies Disputes Figures

We Energies' Oak Creek power plant is on a list of the Great Lakes' 25 biggest mercury polluters. The company says its actual emissions are lower than those stated in the report.

Report: Power Plant Repairs Completed

One of We Energies' two new coal-fired plants on Elm Road in Oak Creek returned to full operation last week.

One of the two new coal-fired power plants at We Energies' Oak Creek facility has returned to full service after being shut down last September, according to a Journal Sentinel report. The newspaper reported the plant needed repairs because of problems that could have led to corrosion of a critical component. It returned to normal operation last week. Click here for the entire story.

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VIDEO: Peregrine Falcons at We Energies' Oak Creek Power Plant

Patch's media partners at Fox 6 paid a visit to the Oak Creek power plant to learn how researchers are studying peregrine falcons at the site.

Report: We Energies Will Fight Bluff Collapse-Related Fine

DNR and We Energies met Wednesday in Milwaukee.

The final chapter in the bluff collapse at We Energies' Oak Creek power plant is still to be written. Representatives from We Energies and the state Department of Natural Resources met Wednesday in Milwaukee to discuss the DNR's notice of violation it issued stemming from the Oct. 31 collapse. The DNR says We Energies didn't put a liner underneath a pond it constructed not far from where the bluff collapsed, and that not doing so had a "significant impact" on the integrity of the area. As a result, We Energies faces a fine that could be as much as $5,000 per day dating back to the 2008 issuance of a permit. However, We Energies officials said today they would fight the fine because they still believe the rules of the permit were followed, …

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mau

3:12 pm on Thursday, March 8, 2012

The DNR needs some more money. Hopefully the Sierra Club is standing in line with their hand open too.   more ›

DNR Report: We Energies Faces Fines From Bluff Collapse

DNR officials say not building a pond was a "significant factor" in bluff collapse, but We Energies says it addressed the issue in other ways.

We Energies didn't put a liner underneath a pond it constructed not far from where the bluff collapsed at the Oak Creek Power Plant last year, and not having it had a "significant impact" on the integrity of the area, according to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Now, We Energies is facing potential fines. But company officials said they didn't think they a liner was required. In a notice of violation issued by the DNR, We Energies received an exemption to expand their facility in 2008 and it promised to put in liners under ponds or channels that were built over waste areas. The company was expected to submit a plan if they put a liner in, but one was never put in and a plan was never submitted, according to the notice. …

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Report: Damage From Oak Creek Bluff Collapse Downgraded

Investigation into Oct. 31 incident still ongoing.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports today that the damage from the bluff collapse at We Energies' Oak Creek power plant was less than originally feared. The newspaper cited an assessment from the state Department of Natural Resources, the U.S. Coast Guard and We Energies. Those agencies are still investigating why a portion of an embankment gave way on Oct. 31, sending debris, including dirt and fuel, into Lake Michigan. Opinions about the environmental impact have differed. We Energies and the DNR have said they do not anticipate any health risks, while environmental advocacy groups have voiced concerns over coal ash in the lake. Click here for the entire Journal Sentinel story.

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Report: Oak Creek Power Plant Out of Service

Other We Energies power plants still in operation.

One of the two new coal-fired power plants We Energies built in Oak Creek will be shut down for repairs, according to a report in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The newspaper reported that a problem that could lead to turbine corrosion was detected during an inspection in October. The second plant is still operating, as is the original power plant built in the 1950s and 1960s. Click here for the entire report. Speaking of We Energies, the company posted an update on the bluff collapse clean-up on its blog last week. The post includes a photo showing a dramatic change in the area where the collapse happened. We Energies says significant progress has been achieved, and added that new estimates have the amount of material that went into Lake…

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DNR Secretary: Environmental Risk From Bluff Collapse 'Small'

DNR Secretary Cathy Stepp pens editorial assessing the impact of the bluff collapse at We Energies' Oak Creek power plant.