Report: MGE power plant could harm river
10:51 PM 3/11/03
Judy Newman Business reporter

A power plant proposed for the UW-Madison campus could drain enough water to harm the Yahara River and its aquatic life, says a draft state environmental impact report, released late Tuesday.

But air pollution from the natural gas-fueled, 150-megawatt cogeneration plant proposed by Madison Gas and Electric Co. in the 600 block of Walnut Street would be minimal, keeping the city below federal limits. And noise from the plant would not be heard past a one-block radius, the report says.

"We are pleased that the facility meets all standards set to protect human health with an adequate margin of safety," said MGE chairman Gary Wolter, in a written statement.

The 218-page document was compiled by state Public Service Commission and Department of Natural Resources staff.

It says if the proposed $176.5 million power plant is built as the current plans outline, MGE customers would pay about 7 percent more for electricity.

The biggest concern is over water. The plant would use, on average, 1.2 million gallons a day, or at peak levels, as much as 3 million gallons of water a day from Lake Mendota.

"We at the PSC found the Yahara River is fairly low," said senior environmental analyst Kenneth Rineer. "A lot of water, for years, has been diverted to Badfish Creek through the Nine Springs sewage treatment plant.

"That water is .