Debate intensifies over Superior's proposed gas plant
A proposed $700 million gas plant in Superior, Wisconsin, is causing division among locals, with some seeing it as a job creator and others worrying about environmental and cultural impacts.
Isiah Holmes reports for Wisconsin Examiner.
In short:
- The Nemadji Trail Energy Center faces criticism for potential environmental damage and disregard for tribal lands.
- Recent city council decisions reflect growing opposition, questioning the project's alignment with community and environmental values.
- The project, still lacking several permits, also clashes with state and federal renewable energy goals.
Key quote:
“It provides extraordinary benefits as an undeveloped wetland. It is adjacent to a river and I generally believe, and I believe my opinion is shared by many members of the community, that waterfront — especially undeveloped waterfront — is best left undeveloped for public use.”
— Jim Paine, mayor of Superior
Why this matters:
Critics of the Nemadji Trail Energy Center raise concerns about potential harm to public health and the environment, including harmful emissions, noise pollution, and impacts on local property values. The project is expected to produce 2.7 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions annually, albeit with a reduction of about 964,000 tons per year by displacing coal plants. Locating NTEC near tribal lands and a historic Ojibwe burial ground adds to the complexity, with tribes fearing the disturbance of their ancestors' remains and environmental damage
As Pittsburgh touted its environmental progress in 2018, a massive petrochemical makeover was taking place in the surrounding region. Tribes and environmental groups argued against a future of pipelines and plastic production.
