The Sierra Club filed a motion to intervene in the legal challenge that Wolverine Power Cooperative has mounted against the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment. Back in May, the state agency denied Wolverine's permit to build a massive 600-megawatt coal-fired power plant in Rogers City, Michigan. This denial received enthusiastic applause not only from groups concerned with public health and the environment, but also by consumer and ratepayer advocates who argued that construction of the unnecessary plant would lead to an increase in electricity rates.
In August, Wolverine filed a lawsuit and appealed the agency's decision. Represented by NRDC and Great Lakes Environmental Law Center, the Sierra Club seeks to join with the state in defending its decision to reject the plant. Sierra Club has also filed a motion to intervene in a federal enforcement case against DTE's Monroe plant. That plant has been identified as a bigger threat to public health than any other coal plant in the country.
