The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has overturned the State of South Dakota's approval of the massive Big Stone II coal-fired power plant. The EPA's decision comes after the state failed to require state-of-the-art pollution controls for the coal plant that would address concerns about harmful soot, smog and global warming pollution.

This decision likely spells the end of Otter Tail Power's Big Stone II coal plant. At a minimum, Otter Tail Power will have to go back to the drawing board and redesign the project to incorporate the best and maximum available control technology for pollution like soot and smog. Sierra Club and Clean Water Action will be pushing for EPA to set limits also for carbon dioxide, the main contributor to global warming.

The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (PUC) unanimously approved a transmission line needed for new Big Stone II coal-burning power plant just across Minnesota's western border in Milbank, S.D. The new coal plant would use millions of gallons of water from the Minnesota River watershed.

Despite reams of testimony about the harm to air and water from the plant and the risky investment in coal burning at a time when coal prices and carbon emission fines are poised to increase, the PUC ruled that the plant could go ahead. The new plant will be the equivalent in Global Warming pollution of adding over half a million new cars to the road.

"This is a tremendous disappointment from the PUC, a milquetoast decision that means that if Big Stone II gets built, shareholders and ratepayers will have to bear the extraordinary costs of coal and carbon that Otter Tail Power did not account for, not to mention the pollution," said Darrell Gerber with Clean Water Action. "It just doesn't make sense."

By Mary Jo Stueve

Also published in the Argus Leader, "Should water to burn coal trump everything else?"

Last year, South Dakota bragged of a 'deal' with the utilities proposing the 630MW coal fired Big Stone II, citing environmental benefits and room for wind. The South Dakota Public Utilities Commission (SD PUC) applauded that the utilities could commit to just 189 lbs of mercury emissions per year.

On Friday August 31, Otter Tail Power on behalf of Big Stone II struck a deal with the Minnesota Department of Commerce (MN DOC) indicating it would limit mercury emissions up to 90%.

July 2008: Dallas-based Hyperion Energy plans to build one of South Dakota's new 'water hogs' - an oil-refinery and coal plant right in the heart of prime, fertile agricultural land in southeast South Dakota. CNN Special Investigations Unit reports how this project has pitted neighbor against neighbor with some farmers vowing legal fight. Save Union County questions whether Hyperion has the credibility and financing necessary to follow through.

Loosely affiliated activists draw a hard line -- and hold it

by Ted Nace; illustrations by Linda Zacks

Published in the January/February 2008 issue of Orion

In the Matter of the Application of Otter Tail Power Company and Others for Certification of Transmission Facilities in Western Minnesota; MPUC Docket No. CN-05-619; OAH 12-2500-17037-2;

January 15, 2008

Subject: Additional public hearing requested, BSII CON

Dear Judge Mihalchick and Judge Neilson,

Clean Water Action joins the Minnesota River Board in urging Governor Pawlenty and Rounds to reconvene the Boundary Waters Commission for Big Stone Lake.("Board: Minn. should have a say in water appropriation for Big Stone II," 29 January 2008, West Central Tribune).

Big Stone II makes massive water demands: Plans for the proposed Big Stone II coal plant near Milbank, South Dakota call for using massive amounts of water. In addition to the 3.2 billion gallon surface draw approved last year, co-owners have now filed for another 3.2 billion gallons from groundwater. With concerns about pollution growing and spiraling costs for the proposed coal plant,