From a story on WHOTV.com, Des Moines:
A wind energy plant wants to bring jobs to Iowa
A Maryland-based company is making plans to employ 175 people at a new plant in Iowa City. North American Ductile Iron Company will initially focus on making parts for the wind turbine market.
The $85-million project is subject to state and city review. The company hopes to begin operation by 2013.
From an article by Regan Carstensen in the Red Wing Republican Eagle:
Goodhue County’s wind power ordinance should not be applied to a project proposed by Goodhue Wind, a judge said Friday in her recommendation to the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission.
Administrative Law Judge Kathleen Sheehy said that she found good cause not to apply many provisions of the county ordinance, passed last October, to Goodhue Wind’s 78 megawatt, 52-turbine project.
“It was really a comprehensive review, and she was very professional and even-handed in the way she developed it,” said Joe Jennings, director of communications for Goodhue Wind.
The review detailed 179 findings, in which Sheehy addressed many things people who were opposed to the project had been concerned about.
Some concerns involved noise from the turbines, as well as the possibilities of stray voltage, ice throws and shadow flicker.
Sheehy found that all of the wind turbine sites proposed by Goodhue Wind would be located far enough from dwellings to meet the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency noise standards. Another finding showed that there is no evidence that any wind farm operation has ever caused stray voltage problems.
Sustainable Dunn announces the West Wisconsin Sustainability Fair, Sat. July 16, 8 AM – 2 PM at the Dunn County Fairgrounds, 620 17th St., in Menomonie. Coinciding with the Farmers Market, the Fair will host exhibitors from business, government, and non-profit groups, and will offer speakers, workshops, music, energy efficient vehicles, a photo contest, and a tour of the Cedar Falls Dam. Come and shop at the Farmers Market, talk with friends and neighbors, and learn more about sustainability in Western Wisconsin. For more information see the Sustainable Dunn website (sustainabledunn.org) or contact Margy Hagaman.
From an article article by Casandra Colson in the Jackson County Chronicle:
Living “green” always has been a way of life for Brambleberry Bed and Breakfast owners Chris and Sherry Hardie.
“That type of lifestyle was automatic,” Sherry said. “It wasn’t anything we strived for — it was the way we were raised.”
The Hardies, who each grew up on a dairy farm, now make sure Brambleberry Bed and Breakfast guests get a taste of what it’s like to live sustainable lifestyles during their stays at the couple’s rural Taylor getaway destination.
Brambleberry was named one of Wisconsin’s Eco-Elegant B&Bs by the Wisconsin Department of Tourism last year, and it’s also one of the state’s certified Travel Green destinations since 2008.
Travel Green Wisconsin businesses need to score at least 30 points in the certification process to receive the designation. Branbleberry scored 71.
“That’s a really good score and shows their support for sustainability,” said Shelly Allness, Travel Green Wisconsin program manager.
The Hardies were chosen to have the fifth-top eco-elegant inn, largely because of their commitment to growing and using homegrown produce for guest meals. They make homemade blackberry wine, use fresh herbs, serve homegrown pork and eggs and also make and serve homemade maple syrup.
From a story on WEAU-TV, Eau Claire:
RED WING, Minn. (AP) — Under the forested bluffs of southeastern Minnesota lies an increasingly sought-after resource. It’s called “frac sand.” And it’s prized by the energy industry, which uses it to extract gas and oil from underground rock in a process called hydraulic fracturing, or fracking.
Minnesota Public Radio reports an increasing number of companies are eying Minnesota for the sand, prized for its perfectly round, hard and chemically inert grains. One energy company recently purchased land near Red Wing for sand mining, sparking opposition from residents and environmentalists.
From an article in the Star Tribune, Minneapolis-St. Paul:
The fracking process pumps a mixture of frac sand, water and chemicals into underground rock formations to break up the stone and release oil and natural gas. It allows affordable access to fossil fuel supplies that once were too expensive to tap.
But it’s been a contentious issue in some states that have fracking operations. Critics argue that chemicals used in fracking may be contaminating water supplies.