(October 25, 2009) This morning the Bay City Times is reporting that new emission rules are in effect that will affect Consumers Energy's J.R. Whiting Power Generating Plant here in Luna Pier. From the article:

The state has finalized new emission rules, requiring all electricity-generating plants to cut their mercury emissions by 90 percent by 2015 ... “The issue is how do we comply without spending tens of millions of dollars on older units that we are going to end up retiring in a few years,” said Jeff Holyfield, a Consumers spokesman.

Charles Slat of the Monroe News has also written on this subject, and specifically looked into information on the Whiting plant:

The Monroe Power Plant has been one of the largest emitters of mercury in Michigan, putting about 1,147 pounds into the air last year. The Whiting plant emitted 108 pounds last year ... [Holyfield] said the new state rules are "do-able, but challenging." ... "It’s too early to tell what that would mean for Whiting and what investments we might make there," he said. "The rule is just out so we’re going to have to do an analysis and figure out how were going to meet it and what the strategy’s going to be."

The Whiting power generating plant provides 60% of the tax base for the city of Luna Pier, and is Consumers' oldest coal-powered plant in the state of Michigan. Losing this plant and the taxes plant pays would be devastating to the Luna Pier city budget. These new coal emission rules are why city leaders need to act rapidly to replace the potantial loss of this revenue.