07-02-2025
Firm chosen for study
County to negotiate contract with firm for feasibility study
Contract negotiations between Koochiching County and engineering firm R. W. Beck are expected to begin as the proposed plasma gasification project moves a step forward.
The Koochiching Development Authority Board Tuesday unanimously agreed to begin negotiations to hire R. W. Beck to complete the feasibility study in the Renewable Energy Clean Air Project. Commissioner Kevin Adee was absent for the vote.
R. W. Beck was recommended to KDA by a six-member committee after it conducted interviews with three firms Thursday. The committee was composed of county representatives and consultants from Coronal, the consulting firm for the project.
R. W. Beck was chosen because it had the most experience with evaluating gasification technology, with previous experience in Honolulu and Ottawa, said Paul Nevanen, director of the Koochiching Economic Development Authority.
The plasma gasification facility would use garbage and wood biomass to create energy and other valuable byproducts while at the same time reducing the amount of garbage Koochiching County sends to a landfill.
R. W. Beck is an engineering firm that will draw from its national offices to form a team of consultants to complete the feasibility study.
It is important for the work on the study to be 'transparent' and for the study prepared by R. W. Beck to be 'defensible', KDA board member Mike Hanson said.
The Legislature appropriated $400,000 in funding for the feasibility study. R.W. Beck's proposed that the feasibility study would cost $200,000, the highest bid of the three firms. But it was evident that the lowest bidder was not prepared during the interview, Environmental Services Director Richard Lehtinen said.
After a contract has been negotiated, it is expected to be brought to the KDA Board for approval. The study, which is estimated to take 14 weeks, is expected to begin after approval of a contract.
Later in the morning Tuesday, commissioners supported addition of adult day services to the other services provided by the Occupational Development Center. It will take the ODC about a year to become licensed, according to the ODC coordinator Jenell Feller.
Adult day services would serve people over the age of 18 who need supervision during the day because of events such as a traumatic brain injury, early stages of Alzeheimer's or muscular dystrophy, according to Feller.
Feller also discussed the ODC's proposed move from it offices at 20th Avenue to the International Industrial Park. The ODC is stuck where is located now because of wetland issues on property in the industrial park, Feller said.
