A state agency has reissued a water pollution permit for a power plant that environmental groups contend would harm Lake Michigan by using vast amounts of lake water for cooling.

The action yesterday by the Department of Natural Resources allows We Energies to operate an offshore cooling water intake built to accommodate the additional two generators being built at its Oak Creek plant.

As planned, the plant would draw just over 2 billion gallons of water a day from Lake Michigan to cool its coal-fired boilers. The water returned to the lake would be 10 to 15 degrees warmer.

Clean Wisconsin, one of the groups fighting the plan, contends it would be too destructive of fish and other aquatic life.

But We Energies says it's the best option for the environment and power production.

The DNR scheduled a meeting for public comment June 9th at Oak Creek Community Center.

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