Gregory Pumped Storage Project marches onward, sans Game, Fish and Parks comments
Feb. 20—BURKE, S.D. — A plan to build a hydropower storage project overlooking Lake Francis Case in Gregory County marches onward, with the federal agency overseeing the project continuing to take in public comment ahead of environmental and wildlife impact studies later this year.
Since the beginning of the year, two major meetings, one virtual and one in person, have seen continued opposition from landowners in the area, concerned over the effect of the construction and operation of the project on farmland, recreation and water quality.
At the Feb. 13 school board meeting in Burke, proponents of the project made promises of increased tax revenue to the school district once construction is completed. But some landowners remain unconvinced.
"It's a family legacy that I hope to pass down to my kids and grandkids, and all of a sudden it's going to be taken away from me for no good reason," Doug Tieszen, a local landowner in Burke, said about the project, which will put part of his land underwater under the current plan.
Tieszen further criticized the South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks for their lack of involvement in the process so far, despite the potential impact of the project on wildlife production areas, fisheries and campgrounds in the area.
"They have a lot to lose and nothing to gain, and yet their participation has been quashed," he said. "They should have been in on this process since day one."
Game, Fish and Parks Secretary Kevin Robling told Forum News Service earlier this month that it was too early in the process for the commission to comment on the issue.
"If they're not involved yet, they should be. It's irresponsible not to be," said Rep. Marty Overweg, of New Holland, who represents the area containing the proposed reservoir.
Earlier this session, Overweg brought a bill to remove the pumped storage project from the water resources project list, a move that would not have stopped the project but would have made changes to the handling of state tax receipts from the project. The proposal,
House Bill 1058,
passed the House but died in a Senate committee on Feb. 2.
"If the pumped station gets built now, it's in codified law as a water project, and the excise tax will go toward the water project fund," Overweg said. "That money should go in the general fund so appropriations can figure out what to do with it."
Some governmental agencies have commented on the project. The
Bureau of Indian Affairs
wrote it had "no environmental objections to the actions as long as the projects comply with all applicable laws and regulations," as well as writing it would, "not affect cultural resources on Tribal or individual landholdings for which we are responsible," though it encouraged care in not disturbing any unfound cultural resources such as human remains.
The
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,
which maintains several dams and reservoirs in the Missouri River system, also wrote it is evaluating the project and plans to submit comments by March 10.
The general idea behind the Gregory Pumped Storage Project, a partnership between Missouri River Energy and MidAmerican Energy, is to build a reservoir about 90 feet high overlooking Lake Francis Case near the Platte-Winner bridge, though construction likely will not be completed until the middle of the next decade.
The energy companies behind the project would use renewable energy during times of low demand to pump water uphill and fill the 1,126-acre reservoir.
During times of stress on a grid increasingly reliant on renewable energy, the water would flow downhill, creating a reliable source of hydropower for the region, though the vast majority of the energy produced will exit the state.
Moving forward, public comments on the
current study plan
must be filed by March 10. A revised study plan will then be filed on April 9, with
stakeholder comments
on that document required by April 24.
On May 9, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission will file its Study Plan Determination, the final say on the quantity and scope of environmental and wildlife studies, which will kick off the study portion of their regulatory duties.
Go to
https://www.ferc.gov/how-file-comment
to see how to file comments on any federally licensed energy project, including the pumped storage proposal.
Jason Harward is a
Report for America
corps reporter who writes about state politics in South Dakota. Contact him at
605-301-0496
or
