Public to comment tonight on Wolverine Power?s amendment
A public hearing regarding Wolverine Power Cooperative?s request to amend their special use permit is scheduled for tonight?s Presque Isle County Planning Commission meeting. At the insistence of planning commission member Byron DeLong, the request was tabled back in March to the next regularly scheduled meeting in order for board members to review Wolverine?s request and to give an opportunity for the public to comment. The company, which has proposed to construct a coal-based power plant in the quarry south of Rogers City, wants to burn additional fuels, such as forestry and agriculture material.
DeLong?s motion to table the request was seconded by Roger Fleming. Planning commission meetings are usually conducted in the Circuit Court room at the Presque Isle County Courthouse, but since a large number of people are expected to attend tonight?s session, the meeting has been moved to Rogers City High School. It will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the gymnasium.
ON THE AGENDA will be Tom Karas from the Michigan Energy Alternative Project. He is against the plant and outlined reasons back in March why the planning commission should revoke the company?s special use permit for the health and well being of not only Rogers City, but for all of northern Michigan. Since the March 20 meeting, Robert Noffze, has spearheaded a group of local supporters of the project. They?ve been meeting the last few weeks in anticipation of tonight?s planning commission meeting and hope to ha
After the hearing, the board may vote on the agenda item ?request to amend special use permit #2006-07 to allow biomass fuel.? At the last regular meeting, DeLong argued that Wolverine?s original proposal was to burn ?coal only? at the plant. Representatives attending the meeting refuted that claim saying their intent throughout the process was to consider other fuels. A definition of the biomass the company wants to burn was given to the board and includes only wood products and switch grass. Mike Libby, chairman of the planning commission, voted ?no? on the motion.
The board includes Louis Spens, Martha Roznowski, Jerry Counterman, Julian Pilarski, Dennis Budnick, along with Libby, DeLong and Fleming. Fran Brink and Richard Wright did not attend the March meeting.