Eastern Iowa Airport study finds proposed Alliant plant in Fairfax would raise ‘concerns for airport safety’

CEDAR RAPIDS — Alliant Energy’s plans for a natural gas fired power plant northwest of The Eastern Iowa Airport raise “concerns for airport safety and regulatory compliance,” according to a study commissioned by the Cedar Rapids Airport Commission.

“The proposed utility plant does not meet several local and federal requirements, raising concerns for airport safety and regulatory compliance,” reports Canadian engineering services company AtkinsRéalis in a study distributed by the airport on Monday.

The airport commission agreed in July to spend about $67,000 on a study looking at potential impacts of the proposed plant.

The Eastern Iowa Airport learned in June that Alliant Energy was pursuing plans to build a plant adjacent to the Travero facility in Fairfax. Alliant officials told the Cedar Rapids Airport Commission the facility would have two stacks rising 190 to 250 feet above the ground. Each stack would connect to a combustion turbine in the facility, and each would produce a plume, Alliant Senior Project Manager Eric Curtis said.

The proposed location in Fairfax would construct the plant four miles from the end of the airport’s main runway, less than three miles from the current secondary runway and less than two miles from a proposed future third runway.

The study released this week pointed to the proposed plant’s stacks and the plumes as potential hazards to flight paths, “with risks including turbulence and visual obstructions.”

Airport Director Marty Lenss said Tuesday the study confirmed airport officials’ concerns.

“Our concerns on the front end were the tower stack heights and the plumes, and it formalized our concerns in a way,” Lenss said. “I think the report was well done and encapsulated our concerns pretty, pretty well, and confirmed what we thought.”

The Fairfax City Council is currently considering adoption of an ordinance that would amend the city’s zoning code to allow an exception that would provide a path for Alliant to construct a plant within city limits.

Some city officials have pointed to the potential economic impact of a plant being built in town, while residents at a meeting last week voiced concerns about the impact such a plant would have on their quality of life.

Lenss said he’s not concerned that a longer-term rift will develop between the airport, Alliant Energy and Fairfax, saying the three entities will “get through this.”

He added that representatives from Fairfax have attended some of the airport commission’s initial meetings regarding their master plan.

“I think we can all move past this and continue to foster collaboration moving forward. I would call it growing pains in that the property near the airport has been very popular for development and things are happening fast,” Lenss said. “It's important for all of us to move beyond this issue and talk about continuing compatible land use for all parties and do it in a way that best serves the community at large.”

While the Cedar Rapids Airport Commission has voiced strong opposition to Alliant Energy’s proposed plant location, Lenss said the airport has been engaging in positive conversations with the company over the last month and a half. He said the airport commission and representatives from Alliant have been having biweekly phone calls.

“Communications (are) a lot better, and I'm optimistic that this will end up in a space that's positive for everybody,” Lenss said. “The dialogue has been great, and we've been able to talk through concerns more specifically, so (it’s fostered) a stronger understanding on both sides what the issues are, both for the airport and the power needs.”

Lenss said the airport hopes to know more about the timeline of the project within the next 60 days.

Alliant has said its timeline remains “fluid,” but that it could file with the Iowa Utilities Commission in October. Filing with the IUC requires that the project’s site be finalized. A decision by the IUC could take more than a year, and construction of the plant would take about three years, Alliant officials have said.

Lenss said the airport commission shared the AtkinsRéalis study with Alliant Energy and the City of Fairfax, and that it will be shared with the IUC if Alliant moves forward with the Fairfax location.

What the study says

The study calls for local authorities to enforce existing zoning codes, rather than create new ones or allow exceptions, to help “prevent incompatible development.”

“Given the safety concerns and regulatory conflicts associated with the proposed utility plant, local officials should take all reasonable steps to restrict its construction at the proposed site to preserve safe airport operations and maintain eligibility for federal funding,” the study states. “In alignment with community interests and planning goals, a more suitable alternative location should be identified for the facility.”

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The 50-page report lays out several aerospace risks and ways the airport could be impacted if the power plant is built in the Fairfax location. The study scrutinized the current and future land use of the airport, Fairfax zoning code compatibility, plumes, traffic patterns and both departure and arrival paths.

The study reports that the tall stacks could obstruct flight paths. It also states that the thermal plumes and smoke emissions from the facility could affect aircraft safety.

Generally, Lenss said if the power plant were to be built in its proposed location in Fairfax, private aircraft would be affected more than commercial flights.

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Lenss said commercial flights tend to be “vectored” as they approach their destination, meaning an air traffic controller helps the pilot navigate the plane in the last five to eight miles of the flight as they start to land the plane.

The study added that if the plant is built in its current proposed location, the development could jeopardize the airport’s eligibility for federal funding.

Lenss said the Federal Aviation Administration will not weigh in on the project, but said the FAA is “certainly aware of the topic” but has not been in communication with the airport commission.

Lenss said it is difficult to speculate on what the airport’s recourse could be if Alliant moves forward with plans to build at the Fairfax location.

“If that's the decision that's made, we'll have to evaluate that. But rest assured, we would certainly continue to represent the interests of the airport and the community at large relative to safe airport operations,” he said. “But it's really hard to speculate what that might look like.”

Olivia Cohen covers energy and environment for The Gazette and is a corps member with Report for America, a national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues. She is also a contributing writer for the Ag and Water Desk, an independent journalism collaborative focusing on the Mississippi River Basin.

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Comments: olivia.cohen@thegazette.com