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• Native Americans protest nuclear storage

More than 40 Native Americans rallied Friday morning against plans to expand nuclear waste storage at the Prairie Island power plant on the Wisconsin-Minnesota border near Red Wing, Minn.

Earlier this month, the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission approved Xcel Energy's request to increase electrical generating capacity and store more nuclear waste at the Prairie Island nuclear plant.

Opponents say the nuclear waste storage will essentially be permanent because no federal repository is ready after decades of political wrangling, and there will be long-term hazards to those living in the Red Wing area.

Supporters of the expansion say the region needs reliable and non-polluting nuclear power.

Friday is Native American Heritage Day. As a way of honoring their ancestors and protecting the community, tribal officials urged members to contact state legislators and continue voicing opposition to Xcel's plans.

"We need to let the power plant know we're going nowhere. This is our ancestral lands," said Ron Johnson, Tribal Council president.

Xcel Energy is also seeking federal approval from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to relicense the plant for 20 more years.

The Prairie Island Indian Community Tribal Council responded to the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission's decision in a Nov. 13 press release. It said the council opposes the generating plant's plan to expand by 164 megawatts and to add 35 additional nuclear-waste dry-storage casks.

The release says the Minnesota Legislature convenes February 2010 to decide whether to approve the request.

The council states it is "greatly disappointed" by the commission's decision, saying to add capacity is dangerous and unnecessary.

The council says the nearby nuclear waste storage has been a threat for the past 40 years.