300-MW Coal-Fired Power Plant

Burns & McDonnell is providing environmental permitting and licensing services associated with a new 300-megawatt (MW) coal-fired power plant for Wisconsin Power & Light at existing sites. The primary services are the preparation of a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN) application that is submitted to the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin for approval of the project and the Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) air permit applications that are submitted to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR).

The CPCN application addresses both a preferred and alternate site. Burns & McDonnell is completing a number of field surveys for the CPCN application including: bathymetric mapping, discharge plume modeling, noise studies, habitat surveys, cultural resources surveys and wetland surveys. Other services associated with the CPCN application include data collection from local municipalities, preparation of figures using GIS, socioeconomic assessment, natural resources analysis and preparation of the application.

• Air permitting
• CPCN application
• Engineering plan
• Bathymetric mapping
• Cultural resources survey
• Discharge plume mapping/modeling
• FAA/WDOT notifications
• GIS services
• Habitat survey
• High capacity dewatering permits
• Hydrostatic discharge permits
• Noise monitoring and modeling
• Permitting
• Pit/trench dewatering permit
• River basin water loss approval
• Section 10 permit
• Section 404 permit
• Section 401 certification
• Stormwater management plans
• Threatened and endangered species clearance
• Wetland survey
• WDNR Chapter 30 permits
• WPDES construction permit
• WPDES industrial discharge permit

Before submittal of the CPCN application, an engineering plan was submitted to the WDNR to determine permitting requirements for the project. The engineering plan provided a description of the planned facilities and anticipated environmental impacts.

Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) air permit applications for both the preferred and alternate sites were prepared by Burns & McDonnell and included air dispersion modeling, agency consultation and permit application preparation. A detailed Best Available Control Technology (BACT) analysis was prepared for each site for each type of boiler technology [circulating fluidized bed (CFB) and pulverized coal (PC) boilers] and all emission units proposed for this project.

Other permitting services associated with the project include FAA/WDOT notifications, high capacity dewatering well permits, hydrostatic discharge permits, pit/trench dewatering permits, river basin water loss approval, WDNR chapter 30 permits, Section 10 permit, Section 404 permits, Section 401 Certifications, WPDES industrial discharge permits, and WPDES construction permits.  Plume modeling to provide potential impacts from the on-site cooling water tower plumes will also be performed.