Hibbing Public Utilities and Virginia Public Utilities have entered a joint venture via formation of a third party, Laurentian Energy Authority LLC to generate electricity from biomass as required by an Xcel Energy purchase power agreement. "Quarterly stack emission monitoring reports submitted from the second quarter of 2008 through the first quarter of 2009 documented emissions exceeding permit limits for carbon monoxide and opacity, an air quality measurement related to particulate air pollution. The HPUC also failed to submit a quarterly monitoring report on time in 2008, noise violations and excessive fugitive dust emissions from ash, coal and wood handling operations. "