Elk River Station is an incinerator operating in Elk River, Minnesota that generates 35 to 42 megawatts of electrical power. The site was originally built as a coal and oil-fired facility in 1950, then was converted to a nuclear power plant (boiling water reactor) in 1963. The nuclear reactor was small and only operated from 1964 until 1968 before undergoing decommission and dismantlement in the following years, ending in the early 1970s. It resumed operating on coal and oil in 1968. In 1989, the facility was again converted, this time to use garbage for fuel. Waste arrives from Anoka, Benton, Hennepin, Sherburne, and Stearns counties, and the ash remaining after incineration is taken to a landfill in Becker, Minnesota. Elk River Station is operated by the Great River Energy cooperative. This article needs cleanup. ... Elk River is a city located in Sherburne County, Minnesota. ... The megawatt (symbol: MW) is a unit for measuring power corresponding to one million (106) watts. ... Electricity is a property of certain subatomic particles (e. ... Coal is a fossil fuel extracted from the ground either by underground mining, open-pit mining or strip mining. ... Oil is a generic term for organic liquids that are not miscible with water. ... 1950 was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... A nuclear power plant in Cattenom, France. ... A boiling water reactor (BWR) is a light water reactor design used in some nuclear power stations. ... 1963 was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Nuclear power station at Leibstadt, Switzerland. ... 1964 was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1968 was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1968 calendar). ... Events and trends Although in the United States and in many other Western societies the 1970s are often seen as a period of transition between the turbulent 1960s and the more conservative 1980s and 1990s, many of the trends that are associated widely with the Sixties, from the Sexual Revolution... 1989 is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Garbage is an international rock group formed in Madison, Wisconsin in 1993 by Shirley Manson, Butch Vig, Steve Marker, and Duke Erikson. ... Anoka County is a county located in the state of Minnesota. ... Benton County is a county located in the state of Minnesota. ... Hennepin County is a county located in the state of Minnesota, named in honor of the 17th-century French explorer Louis Hennepin. ... Sherburne County is a county located in the state of Minnesota. ... Stearns County is a county located in the state of Minnesota. ... Ash is: The solid residue left after something has burned, usually wood and plant material (such as tobacco). ... A modern landfill operation. ... Becker is a city located in Sherburne County, Minnesota. ... A cooperative (also co-operative or co-op) is an association of persons who join together to carry on an economic activity of mutual benefit, in an egalitarian fashion. ...

External links

• Elk River Station (http://www.greatriverenergy.com/about/biomass.html)
• Maps and aerial photos (http://kvaleberg.com/extensions/mapsources/index.php?params=45.295172_N_-93.5567_E_type:landmark_region:US)
  • Street map from Mapquest (http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?latlongtype=decimal&latitude=45.295172&longitude=-93.5567&zoom=8) or Google (http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=45.295172,-93.5567&spn=0.015,0.025)
  • Topographic map from Topozone (http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?lat=45.295172&lon=-93.5567&s=24&size=m&datum=nad83)
  • Aerial photograph from Terraserver (http://terraservice.net/image.aspx?s=11&lon=-93.5567&lat=45.295172&w=2) or Google (http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=45.295172,-93.5567&spn=0.015,0.025&t=k)
  • Closeup aerial from Terraserver (http://terraservice.net/image.aspx?t=4&s=10&lon=-93.5567&lat=45.295172&w=2) or Google (http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=45.295172,-93.5567&spn=0.005,0.007&t=k)