Industrial Partners

As part of site plan review, CHS was required to produce a traffic study that explained how intersections in Evansville would function after the plant was operational.

During a typical week, truck traffic at the plant is expected to:

• largely operate Monday through Friday
• largely operate during daytime hours
• have an hourly average of 45 trips in, 45 trips out during the daytime hours

For purposes of the study, it was assumed that one third of the traffic would come from west on US Highway 14, one third from east on US Highway 14, and one third from south on County Highway M. Actual directions may vary.

At the County M/Highway 14 intersection, most lanes of traffic will be operating at a Level of Service (LOS) rated B or higher, meaning stable operation with delays of 10-20 seconds per vehicle. This is largely unchanged current conditions observed at the intersection. Three turn lanes (all left hand turns) will operate at a LOS of C, as they do today.  

The full traffic study is available in PDF form above. 

Not at this time. The Wisconsin Department of Transportation would lead such a project. Currently there is not a plan for a roundabout in Evansville. This interactive map shows planned projects through 2031: WisDOT Existing and Proposed Roundabouts

Not within City limits. One daily unit train (between 75 to 120 cars) is expected to run from Janesville to the plant and will use the loop track on the CHS site to load and unload rail cars, then return down the same track. Trains will not be running through the City to access the site. There may be traffic impacts to the rail crossings at Weary Road and County Highway M directly south of the site.

Tracks within City limits are not part of regular service for Union Pacific and there are no current plans to improve the line through the City.

Daily train service is expected for this site.

Evansville Water & Light anticipates an added service load of 12 Mw, similar to the total amount of energy the entire City uses today. The plant will have its own breaker system, meaning any outages will be isolated at the plant.

No. The utility develops different rates for different customer classes. CHS will be in an industrial rate class that has a different and independent rate structure from residential customers. Utility rates are reviewed by the Public Service Commission (PSC) in consultation with our experts at WPPI Energy. Once the plant is up and running, our partners at WPPI Energy may recommend creating an entirely new industrial rate class for CHS that passes through all incremental costs incurred directly to CHS. This may involve a new rate case. 

The administrative buildings will be connected to City water, using a similar amount of water as an average office with 80-90 people. Most of the water used on site will be used for cooling. Water used for cooling at the plant will come from a high capacity well that will be regulated by the DNR.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR). You can read more about the DNR’s process for reviewing applications for high capacity wells here: High Capacity Well Review Process -- Wisconsin DNR

There is a high capacity well currently on site but this is likely to be capped in favor of a new, deeper well. CHS will likely need to report the amount of water it withdraws, which will be monitored by the DNR and available publicly. All high capacity wells can be tracked here: Drinking and Ground Water Use Information System

The cooling water does not need to meet standards for drinking water in order to serve CHS’s needs. (You may see the term “potable” to describe water that is fit for drinking.) This means the City does not need to treat the thousands of gallons a day that CHS will be using. Instead, that cooling water will be drawn from a high capacity well. 

Odors and noise can occur from any industrial or commercial users in the City. In nearby Waupun where there is a similar plant, the mayor described it as a “slight roasting smell.” In 2023, members of City Council and staff visited similar CHS plants in Mankato and Fairmont, Minnesota, where they reported no obvious odor when on site.

There will be operational noise associated with the plant that will be similar to the sounds produce by our other industrial users, such as Alcivia, Stoughton Trailers, Baker Manufacturing, and BlueScope Buildings of North America.

The Performance Standards of the zoning code includes a range of acceptable sound levels at various frequencies. Generally, this site (along with all other industrial users) should not produce sounds greater than the equivalent of an idling truck or a low rumble when observed off site. Should there be evidence CHS (or any other user) is in excess of these standards, the City has the ability to request a third-party report of sounds produced at the site.

There will be some intermittent noise generated by increased train traffic, as trains are required to sound their horns in advance of and at rail crossings.

CHS will be required to meet all air quality standards as set forth by WI DNR, as well as the Performance Standards for industrial uses set forth in the Evansville zoning ordinance, as it pertains to smoke, dust, and particulate matter. CHS’s Air Permit (as well as permits for other local industries) can be found here: DNR Air Management Program

CHS will be issued a wastewater discharge permit that will stipulate amount and levels of outflows from the facility. CHS will perform pretreatment onsite to be sure the wastewater discharge is acceptable for our plant. CHS can be serviced by the City’s existing plant, but an expansion will occur to add additional capacity for any future growth.