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UIES/T EKA ANTOWNSHIP STILLWATER, MINNESOTA 55082 RECEi VED 2 8- % March 27, 2006 Dean Johnston, Mayor Lake Elmo City Hall 3800 Laverne Avenue North Lake Elmo, MN 55042 RE: XCEL Fly Ash Repository in the St. Croix Valley Dear Mayor Johnston, As you may know, Xcel Energy has been looking for a new fly ash dump in close proximity to its Alan S. King coal-fired power plant in Bayport. They have been depositing wet fly ash at a dump site in Oak Park Heights for many years and their goal is to continue depositing wet fly ash into a new facility, also within close proximity of the plant. After a search of many existing gravel pits, Xcel has identified a gravel pit in West Lakeland Township as its future site and they are moving forward to obtain the approvals necessary to use this site. The fly ash being deposited contains toxic waste from the coal burning process and our concern is the long-term health and environmental risks posed by these wastes being stored in the highly sensitive St. Croix River valley, with its fragile geology and already threatened ground -water. I hope you would see this as not just a West Lakeland issue, but a valley -wide issue. This waste can certainly go elsewhere than in this valley. The Xcel process must be monitored to ensure that the eventual solution respects the resources of the valley, especially its groundwater. As Xcel seeks their approvals, monitoring the process will take legal and engineering resources at some cost. There will be the permitting process through the PCA, local (West Lakeland Township and County) permitting, potentially Xcel seeking a "fly ash repository siting bill" at the legislature, and perhaps court actions. "Fly Ash Fund" Started These challenges will take human resources and money, and since the outcome of this process will affect this valley and its groundwater for generations, we are hoping you will see this John McPherson April 26, 2006 Page 2 of 2