Turkey Litter Power Plant Hit With $14K Fine

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) -- A power plant that burns turkey litter has agreed to pay a $14,000 fine for burning treated wood in violation of its permit.

The Fibrominn plant in Benson is fueled primarily by litter from turkey farms in western Minnesota. It also burns wood and other biomass.

But the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency says Fibrominn's permit bars the plant from burning treated wood, such as plywood and oriented strand board, because they're bonded with chemicals that make them unsuitable for burning. The agency says the plant burned more than 22,000 tons of treated wood between March 2008 and November 2011. The MPCA says that was less than 1 percent of the total fuel burned in that period.

Monday's announcement says Fibrominn has stopped using treated wood and has informed its suppliers.

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