Oak Creek property reportedly covered in coal dust, We Energies and DNR investigating

OAK CREEK - Waking up and looking outside to find everything covered in a thin black dust sounds like something out of a Hollywood movie.

That was the case for at least one Oak Creek resident March 5 and the powder was likely coal dust from a nearby We Energies power plant, 11060 S. Chicago Road.

“We were contacted earlier this week by a customer who is a neighbor to our Oak Creek generation site and we are working directly with that customer to address his concerns,” said Cathy Schulze, a representative for We Energies, March 7.

We Energies is having the powder tested to be certain it is from coal. Schulze said there isn’t a definitive timeframe for when the report will be completed but it will be shared with the resident who called in.

Schulze said it was likely that strong wind gusts from the southeast along with the plant's equipment moving coal on the pile contributed to the concerns. The outdoor storage area of the Oak Creek plant can hold up to 420,000 tons of coal.

"During the timeframe of high winds, we stopped adding coal to the pile and stopped the machinery we use to move the coal pile to minimize the possibility of coal dust spreading to our neighbors’ property," Schulze said. "In addition, we also used water technology to suppress and minimize coal dust."

The dust settles

Oak Creek resident John Smith lives nearby. He said the homes on Studio Lane and South Barton Road are affected the most by the dust.

“I had white lawn furniture (and) within a year it was black from the coal dust,” Smith said.

He also said he has to run his air conditioner all summer because he can’t open his windows due to the dust.

Smith, an auxiliary officer with the Oak Creek Police Department, has lived near the plant for over 30 years. He said he’d hate to move because he loves his half-acre.

Smith said when the power plant put in a new section the coal pile got bigger and the problem worsened.

“We get hit with coal dust all the time if there’s a good wind,” he said. “it’s not a good thing.”

Schulze said We Energies has suppression systems installed to minimize coal dust as well as video monitoring and updated windbreaks. The company also updated its procedures for moving coal during high winds, she added.

Health concerns and monitoring

As for possible health concerns, Schulze said results from monitoring "support our belief that power plant operations are not causing health problems for residents." She also said We Energies has worked directly with neighbors to clean their property.

An air-monitoring station was installed in January 2016 one mile south of the plant. Schulze said the location was selected based on neighbor concerns and data that showed predominant southwest winds.

There used to be an air monitor to the north of the plant in Haas Neighborhood Park. However, that monitor was removed due to low data results recorded, she said.

Resident Jason Campbell said he lives several miles from the plant but takes his children to Haas Neighborhood Park often. However, after seeing all the dust on the playground equipment, he’s not taking them back.

“Who knows how it’s affecting everyone in the long term and I feel that a lot of things are swept under the rug,” he said. “This isn’t a new problem and certainly something we were aware of prior to purchasing our house.”

Campbell said he’s worried this will happen more frequently as production increases at the plant and suggested air monitoring by an outside party.

DNR also checking

Marcus Smith of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources said the DNR’s air program compliance engineer visited the area to the west and northwest of the We Energies property near the Haas Neighborhood Park March 7.

“He observed a dusting of particulates on the playground equipment and at a local residence,” Marcus Smith said.

The engineer collected samples, which were sent to the state lab of hygiene for analysis and identification. Marcus Smith said it would take several days to obtain results.