NIPSCO

April 27, 1981: Marchers protest, support Bailly

Originally published in The Vidette-Messenger of Porter County on April 27, 1981.

Marchers protest, support Bailly

By Steve Dinnen

Hundreds of colorful helium-filled balloons make their way out over Lake and Porter counties Saturday following their release as part of an anti-nuclear demonstration outside the gates leading into Northern Indiana Public Service Co.’s Bailly Nuclea…

Hundreds of colorful helium-filled balloons make their way out over Lake and Porter counties Saturday following their release as part of an anti-nuclear demonstration outside the gates leading into Northern Indiana Public Service Co.’s Bailly Nuclear 1 plant site. The path of the balloons is meant to represent the path of nuclear material in the event of an accident at Bailly. Persons finding the balloons, which have return addresses inside them, will be asked to mail cards to various groups that supported the rally.

(V-M: Martin Gehring)

BURNS HARBOR ー Placards and pennants said it all for 500 anti-nuclear demonstrators as they gathered outside the gates of the Bailly Nuclear 1 site Saturday to protest any resumption of construction at the unfinished north county power station.

“Radiate truth, not people,” “Say NO to NIPSCO” and “No more Three Mile Islands” signs bobbed over protestors’ heads as they reaffirmed their opposition to Northern Indiana Public Service Co.’s plans to finish the plant, which is only one percent complete.

Jointly sponsored by the Bailly Alliance, Porter County Citizens Concerned About Bailly and Citizens Against Nuclear Power, the rally was pulled off with few hitches as demonstrators began to assemble Saturday morning a mile away from the Bailly entrance. By noon sufficient forces were marshalled to begin a march alongside roads and then onto U.S. 12, where they halted at the east gate of Bethlehem Steel Corp., which also serves as the entrance to Bailly.

Under the watchful eye of county and local police, the band chanted “No nukes” as various union and political leaders stepped up to the microphone and pledged their opposition to Bailly. Speaking to whom he called “residents of the fallout zone,” Mike Olszanski, a committeeman with United Steelworkers of America local 1010, said ratepayers must say no to NIPSCO’s rate increases and the hauling of radioactive wastes from Bailly when and if it is completed.

“If the politicians won’t listen, we’ll get new ones,” Olszanski said of his pleas.

Bailly 1 protestersU.S. 12 turned into a pedestrian concourse Saturday afternoon as 500 anti-nuclear demonstrators used it to march to the gates of the proposed Bailly 1 nuclear demonstrators used it to march to the gates of the proposed Bailly 1 nu…

Bailly 1 protesters

U.S. 12 turned into a pedestrian concourse Saturday afternoon as 500 anti-nuclear demonstrators used it to march to the gates of the proposed Bailly 1 nuclear demonstrators used it to march to the gates of the proposed Bailly 1 nuclear generating station. Heavy union support of the rally can be seen from the placards carried at the protest, which included groups from the Bailly Alliance, Porter County Citizens Concerned About Bailly and Citizens Against Nuclear Power.

(V-M: Martin Gehring)

Porter Town Board member Tom Esgate next said that the protestors had gathered to “jar some sense into NIPSCO’s corporate head.” Esgate, whose community is practically within earshot of the Bailly site, said he felt NIPSCO had failed to adequately discuss evacuation or emergency plans with neighboring towns, an act he said was appalling and possibly criminal.

“NIPSCO seems to have forgotten that it was at one time a public service company,” Esgate said. He added that the company, and not the protestors, was the radical in the dispute and that the firm had become a “vigilante industry.”

Chicagoan Bill Steyert pretty well sums up his sentiments on nuclear power as he waves his flag high to show protest against NIPSCO’s Bailly 1 nuclear plant. Behind him sits a substation on the Bailly site that presently provides power to adjacent B…

Chicagoan Bill Steyert pretty well sums up his sentiments on nuclear power as he waves his flag high to show protest against NIPSCO’s Bailly 1 nuclear plant. Behind him sits a substation on the Bailly site that presently provides power to adjacent Bethlehem Steel Corp.

Next to the rostrum was James Balanoff who, as director of District 31 of the USWA, oversees about 100,000 northwest Indiana and Midwest steelworkers. Balanoff claimed Hoosiers are being ripped off by NIPSCO, and that ratepayers don’t want to pay for a nuclear plant that would, in his opinion, be expensive, obsolete and a possib;e health hazard.

The Bailly plant owner also came under fire from its own employees, who were represented by U.S.W.A. Local 12775 president Fred Hershberger. He said the NIPSCO’s sole concern is with profits, and he claimed the utility’s management is incompetent and “has no business running a nuclear plant.”

Following the speeches demonstrators released several hundred colorful helium-filled balloons. As they rose and scattered toward the southwest in the 50 degree air, the festive atmosphere of the rally was heightened as a choir sang in the background.

Most of the protestors appeared to be in their mid to late 30’s, but every age group ー from toddlers to senior citizens ー was represented. The demonstrators were well behaved, and instructions to them beforehand included information on how to string out their procession to make it appear larger to television cameras.

Walter Rast, professor of theology at Valparaiso University, delivered the convocation for about 500 anti-nuclear demonstrators as they gathered outside the gates leading into the bailly site for an early afternoon rally.

Walter Rast, professor of theology at Valparaiso University, delivered the convocation for about 500 anti-nuclear demonstrators as they gathered outside the gates leading into the bailly site for an early afternoon rally.

Police on the scene served as little more than traffic cops, as initial fears of a confrontation fizzled when a pro-nuclear group left the gates shortly before the larger band arrived.

The Lake-Porter County Leadership Council mustered about 70 people who marched to the Bailly gate around noon to voice their support for nuclear energy and construction at the plant. Joseph Morris, chairman of the citizens’ action group, said afterward that he was pleased with the results of the march.

“We had made a serious attempt to evaluate the situation, and concluded that nuclear energy is safe, efficient and needed,” Morris said.

Martin Henrichs, president of the council, said his group adopted its stand after determining that coal fired power stations are obsolete and sources of pollution. He said the platform also was adopted because charges for electricity generated from fossil fuels is escalating beyond the means of many American.

A spokesman for NIPSCO said today that his company would have no comment on the Saturday demonstrations. He also said no decision has yet been made on whether to proceed with Bailly, which reportedly has cost NIPSCO $180 million to date.

Nuclear power supportersPersons in favor of nuclear energy had their day in the streets to, as a stalwart band of 70 marched to the bailly site and staged a rally to show their support for the nuclear industry in general and Bailly specifically. The…

Nuclear power supporters

Persons in favor of nuclear energy had their day in the streets to, as a stalwart band of 70 marched to the bailly site and staged a rally to show their support for the nuclear industry in general and Bailly specifically. The pro nuclear demonstration was organized by the Lake-Porter leadership Council.

Oct. 29, 1955: Utility Firm Set To Meet City Growth Electric, Gas Facilities Are Under Expansion

Originally published in The Vidette-Messenger of Porter County on October 29, 1955.

Utility Firm Set To Meet City Growth

Electric, Gas Facilities Are Under Expansion

By ROLLIE BERNHART

Northern Indiana Public Service company, Porter county’s largest taxpayer, must plan the expansion of its facilities, so that gas and electricity is instantly available at the turn of a valve or touch of a switch.

This service and planning must be constantly done, no matter how rapidly the city builds or in which direction it goes.

In 1955, NIPSCO has paid a total of $188,618.36 in taxes into the office of the Porter county treasurer.

The results of a construction program by NIPSCO, to assure the people of Valparaiso and vicinity of ample electric power and natural gas for present and future needs, are currently very much in evidence throughout the city and county, a V-M reporter’s survey revealed.

All of the work and expansion prevalent in Valparaiso and Porter county today, is merely a portion of the general expansion program being carried on throughout the entire NIPSCO territory.

The growth of the city;s east side is reflected in the new NIPSCO electric substation being built on Roosevelt road at Wood street, and the new electric line being constructed along Roosevelt road from the north.

The rapid expansion of Valparaiso’s east side, including the new buildings on Valparaiso university’s new campus, new residential buildings, the new East Side school currently under construction, new commercial buildings including “auto-mobile row” on East Lincolnway, all take lots of electricity and gas.

In addition, increasing general use of air conditioning adds much to the demand for electric power, it was pointed out.

Reduces Voltage

The new substation will take power from the new Roosevelt road line at 34,500 volts, and will step it down to 4,000. Radical lines at 4,000 volts will then carry the power to the east side neighborhoods, where smaller transformers will convert it to voltages used in homes and business.

Probably the construction most important to the entire Valparaiso area has been underway for months at the huge underway for months at the huge electric station east of the Valparaiso Gold club, known on the NIPSCO district list as the Flint Lake substation.

This station, started several years ago, has been more than doubled in size during the past year, and is the main electric center in this area.

Work on a new 138,000 volt transmission line, to link with another 138,000 volt source of power near Crown Point, is planned to begin this winter. According to Morris Groverman Jr., Valparaiso District manager it was indicated that this line will give Valparaiso another independent source of high voltage power, essential to meet the growth of electric loads here, and to assure continuous and plentiful electricity for area expansion.

Target Date Set

It was pointed out that this line will eventually be connected to the new $26,000,000 Dean H. Mitchell electric generating plant now being constructed by NIPSCO on Lake Michigan at Gary, and is expected to be “on the line” in the late fall of 1956.

In Valparaiso, poles for the new line have been moving into the company’s storage yards along Evans avenue. Many of these poles are 85 feet in height, and weigh two and one-half tons.

Probably the most noticeable projects to Valparaiso residents, is the continuing work at the district operating headquarters on Franklin street, at Evans avenue. Lawns and landscaping along Franklin street were developed this year and further substantial improvements made in the two large storage lots.

Groverman reported today that plans call for blacktopping of most of the yard area around the building sometime next year.

The new district operating building on Franklin street houses the gas and electric operating departments, stores department and engineering which outgrew the old building on Washington street, south of the Pennsylvania railroad.

Expansion of gas facilities has been going on in and around the city at the same time that electric expansion has been underway, it was revealed.

New Gas Main

A new gas main along Roosevelt road built this year, will handle increased east side growth, and incidentally the kitchens at Valparaiso university’s new union building.

New gas mains are under construction now, or are soon to be started in several newly developed areas of Valparaiso. To meet the ever increasing demands for gas, a new transmission line and regulator station were built south of the city along State Road 2. In addition, a new and larger regulator station is planned to start soon in the area of the old gas plant on south Napoleon street, it was announced.

In the meantime, while these major projects are underway, local NIPSCO engineers and construction crews have also been extending facilities into new subdivisions, to new farm customers, and to new industries in the region.

Line moving projects relative to Indiana Toll road construction in the county have already been undertaken in many spots in the north portion of the county. More line moving work is scheduled to start soon in connection with the widening of Indiana 49 to Kouts, and State Road 8 from Hebron to Kouts.

New Street Lights

NIPSCO will also install new street lights in the Kouts business district, it was pointed out.

Additionally, a new 34,500 electric transmission line was built to serve the Hebron and DeMotte areas. To utilize this power, a new substation was completed this year in Hebron, including extensive improvement of facilities in the south county community.

“Modern living has bright into general use automatic gas and appliances hardly dreamed of 15 years ago,” Groverman stated today. “Automatic living is the new American way of life. Plentiful, inexpensive and always reliable gas and electric service has made this all possible. We of NIPSCO intend to see that these servants are there when Valparaiso needs them.”

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