NIPSCO intends to decommission its Michigan City generating plant within a decade as its shifts to renewable energy sources. Staff photo by John J. Watkins
MICHIGAN CITY — The City Council is asking NIPSCO to remove all coal ash from the Michigan City Generating Station site when the plant closes in or before 2028.
The council unanimously passed a resolution to that effect recently, saying removal is preferable to placing a cap on coal ash that has accumulated at the century-old coal-fired power plant.
“This is all about protecting drinking water here in Michigan City,” said Councilman Bryant Dabney, D-1st, a cosponsor of the resolution.
Resident Joe Sherman commended Councilwoman Dalia Zygas, D-At-Large, for introducing the resolution. He lives near the plant, but said it’s vital to all people who enjoy walking the beach and who drink water from Lake Michigan.
Sherman, who praised NIPSCO for shifting toward clean energy sources, said while he wished the resolution had some teeth to it, the council is at least opening dialogue with NIPSCO on the issue.
Resident Ernie Halloran said if the coal ash is to be transported to Wheatfield, where NIPSCO’s Schahfer Generating Station will be converted to a natural gas-fired plant, how will the toxic waste be transported?
Council Vice President Angie Deuitch, D-At-Large, a cosponsor, said a city committee on the issue should include representatives from the city’s sanitary district and Redevelopment Commission, City Council, residents from adjacent neighborhoods and environmental organizations. Deuitch wants the community to have a say in what happens at the site.
Deuitch spoke with the county assessor and noted the financial impact of closing that plant will need to be weighed. The property tax impact on units of governments could be in the millions of dollars each year.
She referred council members and residents to the Earth Justice website, which has a report called, “Cleaning Up Coal Ash For Good” and an 18-page appendix focused on reuse and economic impacts of NIPSCO’s Michigan City site on the Lake Michigan shoreline, just outside Washington Park.
The appendix lists possible reuse alternatives and recommends community input. Among the ideas are expanding Washington Park or Indiana Dunes National Park, creating a marina, an RV park and campground, museum, athletic complex, outdoor concert venue, golf course, office and commercial space, houses, condos, public beach and more.
Council President Michael Mack, D-3rd, is also a sponsor. A group called Just Transition is “extremely relevant,” he said, even suggesting tarps be attached on trucks in certain ways to protect the environment when coal ash is being transported.
Mack has met with NIPSCO officials and others on plans for cleaning up the site, including the coal ash there. “It’s not complicated, but there’s going to be more to it,” he said.
“One of the meetings I was on actually had some of the higher level EPA officials on it,” Mack said. “This is a regional issue. This is a national issue.”
Mack wants the site to be as clean as possible for future reuse of the property.
Deuitch wants the planning process to be an immediate concern.
“Things are going to start moving fast, and before you know it, it’s 2028,” she said.
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