WI State Coal-fired Heating Plants in News

From the Wisconsin State Journal, February 20, 2010

"The state will install more pollution controls, eliminate coal use or possibly shut down five coal-fired heating plants, the Wisconsin Department of Administration announced Friday.

The plants are at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, UW campuses in Eau Claire, Oshkosh and River Falls, plus the Mendota Mental Health Institute in Madison.

The announcement came the same day the state Department of Natural Resources notified the DOA that five plants were not in compliance and five others needed reviews to determine whether they comply with clean-air regulations."

Read the entire article

News Coverage of Mountaintop Removal Mining Demonstration

The mountaintop removal coal mining demonstration on UW-L's Wittich Field on Thursday, February 18 received both television and newspaper coverage in the La Crosse area. Read more about the demonstration in the La Crosse Tribune article. Watch the WXOW-TV19 video of the demonstration. UW-L students Jeremy Gragert (who "blew" the top off the mountain of snow), Elizabeth Ward and Gretchen Gerrard took part in the demonstration. It's hoped that UW-L can transition from burning coal to using natural gas and then a more sustainable fuel like biomass.

Mountaintop Removal Coal Mining Demonstration

NO MORE COAL event sponsored by Environmental Council at UW-La Crosse

What: Mountaintop Removal Coal Mining Demonstration

When: 11:00AM on Thursday, February 18

Location: Wittich Field west of UW-La Crosse coal-fired heating plant, east of Wittich Hall.

UW-La Crosse students, faculty and staff are invited to gather around a large pile of snow mimicking a mountain next to the campus coal-fired heating plant to demonstrate against the devastating impact of “mountaintop removal” coal mining occurring in the Appalachian Mountains. The mountain of snow will be dramatically destroyed by a student who will represent coal buried inside the snow pile.

UW-L and 14 other state-owned plants currently burn coal supplied through a contract with Massey Energy and Alpha Natural Resources, companies that use mountaintop removal methods that damage natural areas, ecosystems, rivers and streams, and people and communities of Appalachia.

Information on Mountaintop Removal: http://www.sierraclub.org/coal/mtr/

Contact:
Elizabeth Ward, UW-L Environmental Council member
Mobile: (608) 445-4489
Email: ward.eliz@students.uwlax.edu

UW-L Food Composting Program in the News

The UW-La Crosse post-consumer food waste composting program was featured in the February 6 issue of the La Crosse Tribune. This program was started in the Whitney Center dining hall with a $3,000 grant from the UW System’s Solid Waste Research Program, which is funded by a state tipping fee on landfilled waste. Read the entire article here.

Our thanks to Jessica Kotnour and Jeremy Gragert, UW-L students who have worked to establish this program and raise awareness about it on our campus.