Consumers Energy North Kent issued the following announcement on Dec. 2.
Consumers Energy announced the emergency public warning sirens and speaker systems near its Tippy and Hodenpyl hydroelectric generating plants on the Manistee River will be tested on Thursday, December 10 at approximately 9:30 a.m.
Sirens are located near Tippy Dam, High Bridge U.S. Forest Service boat launch, Hodenpyl Dam, and Red Bridge U.S. Forest Service boat launch.
The test will include a voice message, a 30-second siren and a second voice message. The public does not need to take any action during the test. The siren systems are tested each August and December.
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) requires hydroelectric facilities to be able to quickly notify residents and visitors of any developing emergency at the plants.
In an emergency, the sirens would be used only if the threat of a dam failure is imminent at one of the facilities. At that time, anyone on or near the river should evacuate at once to high ground. Additional information would be provided on local radio and television stations.
Consumers Energy offers a safety caution to those who visit dams in the winter.
“Ice on a reservoir near a hydroelectric facility is not reliable and should be avoided by snowmobilers, anglers and others,” said Neil Dziedzic, Consumers Energy’s executive director of hydro operations. “Also, ice-covered water down river from a hydroelectric facility should never be considered a safe place to walk.”
Consumers Energy, Michigan’s largest energy provider, is the principal subsidiary of CMS Energy (NYSE: CMS), providing natural gas and/or electricity to 6.7 million of the state’s 10 million residents in all 68 Lower Peninsula counties.
Original source can be found here.
Source: Consumers Energy North Kent
Alerts Sign-up