PRESTON, Minn. (May 4)—A grassroots environmental activists' group is protesting the pending construction of a $50 million electric plant to be powered by burning 10 million scrap tires annually.
Southeastern Minnesotans for Environmental Protection obtained a court order for the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency to review the environmental impact study it performed on the Heartland Energy & Recycling project in Preston, and also seeks a court-ordered revocation of the air permit the agency gave Heartland in January.
The activists claim the plant would be dangerous to air and water quality in the region, while Heartland President Bob Maust insists it would be environmentally safe and bring 32 full-time jobs to Preston, a town of 1,400. Maust deferred questions to his attorney, Andy Brown, who could not be reached for comment. Kathleen Attwood, president of Southeastern Minnesotans for Environmental Protection, also was unavailable.