Algae project dies at Hutchinson City Council
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Growing algae was no more popular Tuesday with the majority of the Hutchinson City Council than it was earlier this month. It is unlikely to show up on the council’s agenda again anytime soon.
Several city staff members wanted permission to seek a $40,000 grant from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency to study whether algae could be produced using the city wastewater. Algae, they said, has the potential to reduce the city’s annual $500,000 bill for chemicals to treat phosphates in wastewater.
The issue for a majority of the council is the $35,000 the city would put into the study. Leaders of the city-owned Creekside Compost agreed to pay half of that to determine if algae had potential as a raw material for compost. But Hutchinson Utilities leaders declined to participate to learn if the algae could be a biomass fuel source.
Council Member Jim Haugen didn’t like spending the money when the city is facing a major loss of state aid. His motion to table the algae issue indefinitely was supported by Bill Arndt and Chad Czmowski.
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