Argyle Hydro Plant Takes a Licking, Keeps on Ticking

Argyle Utilities’ Superintendent, Randy Martin, went to bed on June 21 after another day of keeping the lights on, something his small utility has been doing for more than 100 years. But his night wasn’t as restful as he would hope.
The historic power plant, located along the Pecatonica River, was struck by lightning at around 10 p.m. on the evening of June 21. The strike surge by- passed a device that should have stopped it and caused the copper windings in the water-powered generator to burn up and caused the small Southwestern Wisconsin village of 812 to go dark. Knowing the history of his facility, Randy went to the plant to reset the breaker, one which he says, “always trips” when lightning hits.
The lights were back on after about 30 minutes in Argyle and the storm had passed.
About 90 minutes later the lights again went out in Argyle, but not due to a lightning strike. An Argyle patrol car was passing by the plant and noticed a strange glow coming from the building. As Martin went back to the plant he was met by the Officer, Steve Bliss, who asked Randy, “Is there supposed to be a glowing coming from the plant?” Martin knew there was trouble.
He instructed Bliss to call out the Fire Department, of which Martin was the Chief, and he entered the plant to determine the source of the now four foot flames. He looked at his brand new diesel generator and was relieved to see it and the control board intact. But the 1928 hydro generator,the one that has lit the village up for so many years, was engulfed.
Martin cut the power to the building and the firefighters extinguished the flames. Re-routing his main source of electricity to the village, Martin had the lights back on in Argyle with just a 45 minute outage. Much of the village will never know what happened that night, and life will continue on in this docile public power community – mainly due to Martin’s swift and decisive actions. Martin is quick to deflect the credit toward Officer Bliss.
"We were lucky, with the building and all that new equipment in the back, that could have been a $2 million fire," said Martin.
Martin says the insurance company will likely cover most of the damage to the plant, and the damage to the hydro unit.

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Material Safety Data Sheets Serve Vital Purpose
by Chris Belz, MEUW Southeastern Regional Safety Coordinator

Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) contain important information to keep you and your co-workers safe while handling any chemical in the workplace. An MSDS identifies the chemical, the chemicals hazards; conditions that make the chemical more hazardous, how to protect yourself, other people, and the environment from the chemicals hazards and how to respond in cases of emergency.

What chemicals in my workplace need an MSDS? The answer is not clear cut, but OSHA/DCOMM rules require that any chemical used in a fashion that a normal household consumer would use does NOT need an MSDS. However, if you use a solvent at your workplace like you would at home but every facility in the City uses that same solvent; you have more of that solvent on hand than a normal household consumer would have at home, and therefore an MSDS would be needed.

Employers that use hazardous chemicals must:

• Provide an MSDS, on paper or computer, for each hazardous chemical.
• Make it easy for employees to get access to MSDSs.
• Train employees to understand and use MSDS information.

MSDS forms are one of two types, OSHA format (describes the chemical, its hazards, and protective and emergency measures), or the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) format (covers what’s on the OSHA form, plus information to help transporters and users in other countries). Whichever format is used, the function of the sheet is to provide you information to keep you safe while using chemicals.

Here is some of the information all MSDS’ provide:
• The MSDS will tell you what the chemical is, including common and chemical names, names of any hazardous ingredients, and the contact information of the chemical manufacturer, importer, or other firm that provided the MSDS.
• You will also find a measure of how much of the chemical you can be exposed to without compromising your health.
• The MSDS informs you if the chemical has potential to catch fire, explode, or react dangerously if exposed to air, water, or another chemical.
• An MSDS also provides information that alerts you to fire and explosion hazards including flash point and upper and lower flammable or explosive limits.
• Identifies conditions that might cause dangerous chemical reactions.
• Identifies any conditions that might cause health problems associated with exposure to the chemical.
• Any specific health effects from exposure: MSDS will identify if the chemical will cause skin irritation, chemical burns, breathing problems, reproductive hazards, etc. or organs that might be affected.
• Whether the chemical is a carcinogenic (may cause cancer).
• Signs and symptoms of exposure: Headaches, nausea, dizziness, rashes, etc.

The MSDS will also inform you if you what to do if you are overexposed. It will list first aid instructions to follow while waiting for medical attention. Some examples would be flushing

MSDSs contain more than warnings. It also has information on reducing chemical exposures by taking the following precautions:
• Personal Protective Equipment
• Hygiene Practices such as washing hands after working with the chemical
• Engineering controls such as ventilation
• Instructions for handling and storing the chemical.
• Emergency Information
• Cleaning up spills and leaks
• Putting out fires involving the chemical
• Disposing of the chemical properly

In summary, take some time to ensure your MSDS information is up to date, can easily be found, and your employees know what basic information is contained in an MSDS. With some training and effort, this tool can be a great help in preventing and responding to chemical accidents in the workplace.

Additional information on hazard communications can be found on the following websites: OSHA www.osha.gov and Wisconsin Department of Commerce www.commerce.state.wi.us.

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September 7-8 in Oconomowoc
MEUW Mutual Aid Seminar to Kick off Lineman’s Rodeo

MEUW will sponsor a two-hour Mutual Aid Seminar on Friday, September 7, from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. in Oconomowoc, in conjunction with the 2007 MEUW Lineman’s Rodeo, which takes place on Saturday, September 8.

Several significant mutual aid incidents in the last couple of years have given many utilities a chance to exercise their mutual aid plans and review the MEUW Mutual Aid Manual. The September 7 seminar will allow mutual aid planners and responders to interact and work through any significant issues that prevent MEUW Members from performing mutual aid assistance in the best manner possible.

There will be no charge for attending the mutual aid class, but we will need a head count, so please register if you plan to attend. Registration materials for the Mutual Aid Seminar were sent to MEUW Member utilities on July 24, and they are also available on our website at www.meuw.org.

Included in the discussion will be:

• A brief history and overview of the MEUW Mutual Aid Program;
• Roles and Responsibilities of both host utilities and responding utilities;
• Protocol and Etiquette: Who does what and when; “who’s in charge?”;
• Open Forum – bring your questions and real world experience to the group.

The Second Annual MEUW Lineman’s Rodeo will be held on Saturday, September 8, at the Olympia Resort & Spa in Oconomowoc. New this year is the apprentice competition, for individual apprentices who wish to participate in the Rodeo but are not part of a team. The apprentice and team events are held simultaneously, so if you have apprentices on your rodeo team, they will not be able to enter the apprentice competition.

Spectators, families and friends are encouraged to attend. Besides watching their favorite lineman compete in the rodeo, there will be activities for the children and other family members and friends - bucket rides, photographs, a clown, and other activities.

Booklets containing registration forms for participants and volunteers, event information and judging guidelines, hotel accommodation information and maps to the events were mailed to Member utilities in early July. The team and volunteer registration deadline is Friday, August 10! If your utility has not received a booklet, please contact MEUW Office Manager, Linda Olson at lolson@meuw.org or 608/837 2263. A shortened form is also available on our website at www.meuw.org.

The day will finish with an Awards Banquet at the Olympia Resort & Spa, located at 1350 Royale Mile Road in Oconomowoc. Participants, judges and volunteers will each receive two tickets to the Awards Banquet. Additional tickets may be ordered for $12.00 each.

Don’t forget, we will be kicking off the Rodeo on Friday, September 7, with the MEUW Mutual Aid Seminar from 3:00-5:00 p.m. at the Olympia Resort & Spa. The MEUW Pole Climbing School will also be held in Oconomowoc on September 10 - 13. We hope to see you at the MEUW Lineman’s Rodeo on September 8!

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Presented at International Conference on June 17
Reedsburg Takes Top Rural Development Initiative Honors

Reedsburg Utility Commission received the Top Rural Development Initiative for 2007 at a ceremony on June 17, at the Radisson Paper Valley Hotel in Appleton. Vierbicher Associates, Inc. nominated the Reedsburg Utility Commission for the award. The award was presented by Wisconsin Rural Partners, Inc. (WRP) President Bonnie Peterson during a reception at a joint international conference hosted by the Community Development Society (CDS), National Rural Development Partnership (NRDP) and WRP.

Accepting the award was Dave Mikonowicz, general manager of Reedsburg Utility, for the creation of a Municipal Communications Utility (MCU) that provides high speed internet, voice and video services to the community of Reedsburg, WI. Mikonowicz, along with Reedsburg Utility staff members, spearheaded the MCU when customers approached the utility in search for a communication service that they needed to remain competitive. Mikonowicz stated, “This is the community’s award, it belongs to the citizens of Reedsburg because of their support in this endeavor.” Citizens of Reedsburg made the MCU feasible through their encouragement, letters of support, and ultimately by utilizing the services.

The award identifies communities that have made significant contributions to the development ofrural areas. Reedsburg Utility Commission’s innovative model of a MCU along with their practices and programs has had a positive impact on rural Wisconsin. Some of that impact includes economic value, social benefits and quality of life, educational opportunities, and public health and safety. Reedsburg’s MCU is the first in Wisconsin. Being first comes with many challenges, like not having a model to follow.

Now that Reedsburg’s MCU is fully operational, many other communities are expressing interest in a MCU and asking for guidance. Wisconsin Rural Partners created the program to provide a mechanism for rural communities to learn from each other, and Reedsburg has done just that.

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September 10 - 13, 2007 in Oconomowoc
MEUW Qualified Pole Climbing School

MEUW Qualified Pole Climbing School is on September 10 - 13 in Oconomowoc following the Lineman’s Rodeo.

Pole climbing is quickly becoming a lost art. The improvements to bucket trucks and the conversion of back yard overhead distribution systems to underground have meant lineman’s belt and hooks have been relegated to very infrequent use. The need for linemen to climb poles will never totally be eliminated though, as long we have overhead systems. Unfortunately, they don’t get enough climbing time on the job to hone their skills and may not have anyone who can even teach them.

This is where the MEUW Qualified Pole Climbing School comes in. Linemen who attend this school will spend three intense days of learning and practicing basic climbing skills needed to perform their jobs. After the three days of instruction and practice, their skills will be assessed, and if their abilities meet the grade they will be issued a Qualified Pole Climbing Certificate. Attendance will be limited to twenty to allow us to give personal attention to each student.

Students will spend much of the three days climbing, so it is imperative that they come to the school in good shape, with a good quality pair of lineman boots with steel shanks, and climbing equipment which is in good condition. In addition, they will need to bring work gloves, hard hats, safety glasses, and a long sleeve shirt for each day.

Because of the limited class size, please send registrations in by Friday, August 27. Registrations will be taken as they are received and will close when the class size reaches 20. The fee for the school will be $150 per person.

A block of rooms has been reserved at the Olympia Resort & Spa (1350 Royale Mile Road, Oconomowoc) at the special rate of $79/night single or double, $89/night triple, and $99/night quad occupancy. Guests who wish to extend their stay to vacation at the Olympia will receive the block room rate for up to three days on either side of the MEUW Lineman’s Rodeo. Call 800/558-9573 by Wednesday, August 15 and ask for the MEUW Lineman’s Rodeo block to get the special rate.

Mark your calendars to be in Oconomowoc for the MEUW Mutual Aid Seminar on September 7, MEUW Lineman’s Rodeo on September 8 and MEUW Qualified Pole Climbing Workshop on September 10-13. For registration materials, call the MEUW office at 608/837 2263, or go to www.meuw.org/events.htm.

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