Brown County drops support for waste-to-energy project

WTE would burn garbage from 17 area counties on a site

near Lamberton

By KURT NESBITT

Journal Staff Writer

NEW ULM -- Brown County commissioners decided Tuesday not to participate further in the Lamberton waste-to-energy project.

Although most of the commissioners said they think the facility is a good idea and also recognized that the county landfill will be full in the future, commissioners ultimately felt that the project is too expensive and has too many unanswered questions.

Brown County initially supported the idea. Officials questioned the results of Redwood County's feasibility study and joined five other counties in making a second study of the project.

While the project has support from many of the Minnesota counties along the Iowa and South Dakota borders, a few, including Brown County, have indicated they do not support the project. Lamberton city and Redwood County officials first pitched their plan in November 2003.

If it materializes, the WTE facility would take in garbage from about 17 area counties, separate the materials and either recycle or burn the trash in an incinerator. It would likely be built in a new, 44-acre industrial park beside U.S. Highway 14 west of Lamberton.

Planning and Zoning Administrator Jane Starz said the WTE's supporters want $9,000 for more studies. The Legislature has not acted on the Office of Environmental Assistance grant that the RADC was planning to use for the study, Starz said.

Commissioner Donald Wellner expressed mixed feelings about WTE.

Commissions Andrew Lochner said he agreed it was a good idea but also thought that it is a "property with no use for the steam and I think there are too many open ends. It's too costly if you can't use the steam."

Commissioner Charles Guggisberg added that the data in RADC's initial feasibility study was "suspect." He agreed that Brown County will need a substitute for a landfill in 40 years.

"I don't see why we should spend money on a center we don't need," Guggisberg said.

Wellner said later that although he believes the WTE is a theoretically practical idea and although he's had positive comments from some of the people that live in his district, he too, felt that Redwood County's plan had too many unanswered questions and a lot of challenges.

In other action:

* Commissioners voted to allow Mathiowetz Construction to dump 3,000 tons of waste from the old Janesville city dump in the Brown County landfill. County documents say the waste will be tested before it goes into the dump and will be rejected if it doesn't meet landfill standards. The action carried with a 4-1 vote with Brown County Board Chair Donald Wellner dissenting.

* County Highway Engineer Wayne Stevens said the county's regular highway projects are "not yet in full swing."

A project on CSAH 10 is waiting while the Minnesota Historical Society decides if it wants to do an archaeological survey because at least one historic house is along the route.

Stevens also gave commissioners a short update on the CSAH 27 expansion, which is scheduled to start in 2006. Stevens said surveying of the new alignment area is expected to end this week.

Commissioner Richard Seeboth asked Stevens about whether it was likely that the county would hear from the New Ulm Airport Commission or the City of New Ulm, since there "are a lot of people who are upset about this. I don't see a reason to pursue it."

Stevens said he recently got a letter from the Airport Commission, which stated that the commission plans to pursue a runway expansion in the future. He said he already regards the expansion as "finished."

Lochner asked the other commissioners if any of them got calls from private citizens about the project. Wellner said he's received a few calls about the project. James Berg said he returned a phone call from Mark Navara about the issue and learned that Navara knew about a meeting the county held regarding the project a long time ago.