Property owners to the east of the Taconite Harbor Energy Center in Schroeder were startled on Thursday, August 25, when a mechanical problem at the power plant sent a cloud of fly ash out of the smokestacks— covering rooftops, decks, vehicles, trees and flowers. Days later the fly ash was still evident on a vehicle in the yard of Steven Lukas.
Property owners to the east of the Taconite Harbor Energy Center in Schroeder were startled on Thursday, August 25, when a mechanical problem at the power plant sent a cloud of fly ash out of the smokestacks— covering rooftops, decks, vehicles, trees and flowers— for about 1,000 feet along Lake Superior’s shoreline. Minnesota Power, which operates the Schroeder plant, has provided answers as to why the ash had been released and plans for cleanup were under way.
A Schroeder resident spotted the ash at 7:03 a.m. on August 25. A call to Cook County Law Enforcement reported “white garbage-smelling smoke on Highway 61 near Taconite Harbor.” Cook County contacted the Taconite Harbor plant and was told that there were no fires burning there. There was a problem, however.
According to MN Power spokesperson Amy Rutledge, one of the power plant’s turbines, Unit No. 3, experienced a rupture in a tube in one of the unit’s boilers. This released an excessive amount of pressurized steam into the smoke stacks, which loosened the coal ash lining and residue in the smokestack. No one was injured in the incident.
The fly ash coated the properties to the east of the plant. Jan Dillon, who lives about half a block from the Schroeder Post Office, observed the strange cloud of dust. She was walking home from the post office and saw a “very, very, white cloud.” Dillon said it looked different than the usual vapor clouds that hover over the smokestacks and it also didn’t look like smoke from a fire. No ash traveled to her property.
However, neighboring property owner Beryl Singleton-Bissell, who lives on the lake side of Highway 61 said the ash covered everything— “roofs, decks, outdoor furniture, foliage, ground covers, flowers.” She said she unsuccessfully tried to sweep the ash off her deck, but noted that it now looks as if she tried to whitewash the wood.
Rutledge said Industrial Hygienist Wade Roseth of Allete Energy, Minnesota Power’s parent company, contacted the homeowners this week to discuss the cleanup process, which will be paid for by Minnesota Power. However, the cleanup is taking longer than property owners would like—and, at first seemed more complicated than it needed to be. The homeowners were told they would have to hire and pay a company to conduct the cleanup and then submit invoices to Minnesota Power for reimbursement. Property owner Bill Christ pressed Minnesota Power to conduct the cleanup, noting that the job required specialized treatment by a firm familiar with environmental spill cleanups.
At press time, another property owner adjacent to the plant, Steven Lukas of Minneapolis, reported that Minnesota Power was now contracting with Bay West of Duluth to complete the cleanup and will pay that company directly, a relief to Lukas who was at his Schroeder home for a vacation with children and grandchildren before school started. “I have grandkids walking around and playing in this stuff. We didn’t plan on spending this time on cleanup.”
Lukas and others expressed concern about the health risks of being in contact with the fly ash. “I’d like to know what is in this stuff,” said Lukas.
Rutledge said she had discussed the toxicity of the fly ash with Roseth and with Minnesota Power’s environmental specialists, who gave assurances that the fly ash is not hazardous. She said the EPA classifies coal ash, which is the consistency of talcum powder, as a non-toxic solid waste. Rutledge acknowledged that there are special concerns about how the ash would impact Lake Superior. She said Minnesota Power’s environmental staff had also reassured her that coal ash mixed with water would not cause a problem.
Rutledge said the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) was aware of the incident and the company would be providing details of the incident. “When we have something like this happen, we conduct a complete review. We want to get a better understanding. How did this happen? Why did it happen?”
MPCA Public Information Officer Ann Perry Moore confirmed that MPCA was aware of the incident and that Minnesota Power is assembling a report for MPCA, to include the extent of released materials and photos. MPCA will then review the information submitted to determine if the company exceeded its permit limits, to assess any potential damage and to determine whether a site visit is necessary.
MPCA Steve Palzkill is the person working with Minnesota Power on the data collection and he affirmed Rutledge’s comments regarding the toxicity of the fly ash. “Generally this type of material is not of a toxic nature. Fly ash is sometimes used as a soil conditioner. It’s a high basic—the pH is very high. It can be slightly caustic, but that is true of any type of ash,” he said.
“Any type of material you breathe, other than air—any particulates—are going to cause breathing difficulties—like pollen does,” he added.
Asked if he foresaw any citations from MPCA on the incident, Palzkill said he would have to complete the review, but noted that the incident is considered a malfunction or breakdown, which sometimes happens at power plant facilities and could be considered acceptable.
Rutledge said the accidental release of fly ash was regrettable, but stressed that it is an isolated incident. “The power plant has been in existence for decades and we haven’t had calls from neighbors before. It’s unfortunate that it has happened and we want to work with these folks,” said Rutledge.
“We have invested millions over the last few years on technology to reduce emissions at the Taconite Harbor Energy Center,” said Rutledge, referring to Minnesota Power’s commitment in 2005 to remove 65 percent of its sulfur dioxide emissions, 60 percent of its nitrogen oxides, and most of the mercury from its coal burning process. Although the company met MPCA guidelines at that time, it invested $60 million over three years at the Taconite Harbor plant and another in Hoyt Lakes, MN to install multi-emission control technology called MoBotec.
Of the fly ash emission, Rutledge said, “This was an issue—we identified it and we fixed it.”
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