Residents, business and community leaders react favorably to power plant proposal

Wolverine Power Cooperative?s project to investigate the feasibility of constructing a base load power plant in the O-N Mineral quarry, has not only lifted the spirits of a community desperate for a turnaround, but it also created a buzz not heard in the Nautical City in quite some time. For some, it is the best news they have heard in a lifetime. ?I think it is the best news that Rogers City has had in quite a while, if not ever,? said Brian Bannasch, co-owner of Nautical Lanes and two restaurants in town. When Bannasch heard a 45-minute presentation by company officials at the Rogers City Chamber of Commerce meeting May 17, he said it all made sense. ?The needs of a power plant and what is already here, it makes you wonder why there has not been one built there already.?

Executives from O-N Minerals and Wolverine shared plans for the project May 11, the details of which had been a well-kept secret, even from high-ranking O-N employees. Wolverine has secured an option to purchase approximately 400 acres of previously mined land. The plant could bring as many as 100 permanent jobs, along with 100 to 1,000 construction jobs. The project could span two to 10 years.

COUNTY DEVELOPMENT commission director Bill Valentine said the power plant would represent a significant economic stimulus for the entire county. ?This project will not only generate electricity but also generate good quality jobs for decades to come,? said Valentine. ?In addition, a number of potential spin-off businesses are envisioned that will create still more jobs in the community. The injection of tens of millions of dollars into the local economy will multiply and sustain a wide variety of business interests.? Valentine attended several meetings with company officials as they made presentations to the city council, Rogers Township Board, school board members, the chamber, and again for the Rogers City Planning Commission on Monday night. ?I think it is a real good deal,? said longtime Rogers City businessman Moe Plath. ?They really kept it quiet for a long time, which normally shows that something is brewing that is real important, that they did not want somebody else to get in there, and to lose it to another area. It is going to take a little time. This is the kind of a gift we need to kind of thank the Lord for. It is going to help everybody in the county and the surrounding areas. We should really embrace it.? Wolverine?s goal is to investigate the potential development of the cleanest coal-fired generating plant in Michigan, in addition to studying the potential for generating electricity with renewable resources.

?OF COURSE, there are socio-economic and environmental issues that also must be addressed during the planning process,? said Valentine. ?In discussions between the CDC and Wolverine Power, the company has expressed their commitment to the U.S. Department of Energy’s Clean Coal Initiative. We look forward to working with the company to help create a ?best in class? power generation project in Presque Isle County.? Ester Santimo, who was having lunch Monday at the Rogers City Senior Center, said her son is familiar with the system that has been proposed and he said, ?People should not be concerned about the environment, because it is a very clean operation, and it is very profitable, so why fight it.? Rogers City Home Furnishings owner Larry Bruski will be 100 percent behind the plant, if when the studies are completed, and the facts come back that it is not going to have a negative effect on the environment, ?I am all for it, but that is my major concern.? Valentine said the location of the plant is well-suited to this type of development. ?The site has already been mined and is not in close proximity to any residential zones. It?s a win-win situation for the companies, for example; the quarry has to pump millions of gallons of water that the power plant needs in the cooling process and the limestone needed in controlling emissions can be delivered by conveyor belt instead of by fuel-guzzling ships.?

ROGERS CITY Area Schools superintendent Paul Mancine has been a visitor/guest of the community since being hired as interim superintendent last year. While his future plans in the community are n

ot certain beyond the final year of his contract, he always has thought of Rogers City as a well-kept jewel, but it concerns him to see store fronts empty and the young people having to leave the area for employment. ?In a nutshell, it excites me,? said Mancine. ?As soon as I heard some of the details, as an old engineer from General Motors, I said that makes sense. You have transportation going in and out, you are using the products right there.? In terms of a boost to enrollment, Mancine said a cautious approach should be taken, as the numbers could spike upward with an increase in jobs, but could slip back down.

?I have to throw the water on the coal-fire, though, only because I have seen other areas that have this temporary infusion of jobs and enrollment.? It is a proposal on paper alone, so there is still some skepticism, as some won?t believe it until they see it, plus there are a few individuals in the community who have expressed opposition to the project. Bannasch asked Wolverine officials what would stop the project. If the feasibility study is positive, he was told the only factor would be major opposition within the community. Based on the early reactions of residents, among community and business leaders, that is something Wolverine Power does not have to worry about, at least at this point in the process.

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