just in case it doesnt get published, I am putting my LTE submission out into the world. heres hoping that the Star Tribune thinks my story is important enough to tell. Last Friday morning at around 5:45, I woke up in a panic, gasping for breath and too far to reach for my inhaler and without glasses to see where I was going. By the time I got to the kitchen I was terrified of what could have happened. I am alright today, but Friday marked the first in a series of 3 days of air quality alerts issued by the city of Minneapolis in the last week. Increased levels of pm 2.5 (particulate matter) put people like me, at risk of serious consequences. Apart from my occasional bouts with constricted airways I am a fairly healthy person and very lucky that I can usually manage my attacks easily. The same cannot be said for the 1 in 10 children that suffer from asthma today. With last weeks air quality alerts came another clear message, it is time to clean up our air and protect public health. There are many sources of air pollution in a metro area like Minneapolis, but pm 2.5 is one of the main emissions from coal fired power plants. Here in Minnesota, Xcel Energy Minnesotas Sherco power plant, located in Becker, MN, is the largest polluter in our state. This is one source of dangerous emissions that we have the opportunity to retire. Shercos boilers 1&2 are old and outdated and polluting our air and communities. This single coal plant is responsible for 1600 asthma attacks annually. In January, Xcel has a plan due to the Public Utilities Commission that will tell us what their intentions are for Sherco, join me in asking them to retire Sherco 1&2.
Posted on: Mon, 15 Dec 2014 19:35:50 +0000
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