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Its nice to be well-balanced and rational when responding to biomass burning but its hard! The developer comes on like, "don't worry, the EPA will protect you" then you find out that TONS of particulates will be coming pout of the stack each month and that his whole rational scientific thing is a manipulation designed to help him make a bundle of money off of a deal that will sicken residents for years after he's gone. | |
from: Julian | on: 10-29-2010 06:03AM I Agree (5) - I Disagree (0) |
>>Beaver Wood's 100-mile-diamater woodshed would stretch from South Berkshire to Fair Haven, Vt., and encompass most of Western Massachusetts.<< I'm not so sure it was adequately explained that if all the recently proposed biomass incinerators were built in this region our forests would not be able to provide enough fuel even when the plants went to whole trees, which they surely will since there isn't enough wood "waste". In addition, much of that so-called "waste" needs to be left in the forest to breakdown and maintain nutrient levels in the soil and create habitat. Further, those trees need to be standing in order to sequester carbon. Perhaps you've heard about the climate crisis? Biomass incineration is the wrong pathway. It's all quick fix and greenspeak on the part of the industry and their friends in government. We need a war stance on energy conservation and efficiency before we go and decimate our forests in the name of energy independence or engage in euphemisms about biomass incineration being a "renewable" or "green". | |
from: Don Ogden | on: 10-29-2010 08:06AM I Agree (5) - I Disagree (1) |
Keep in mind that Williams has it own C)2 spewing co-generation plant. Williams wants to appear to be environmentally conscious. It's good for business. http://tinyurl.com/24y2hya http://tinyurl.com/2dbu2kn Williams emissions in 2008 were 21,848 metric tonnes of eCO2, a 1% decrease from the prior year. The result was achieved by buying more electric from Canadian hydroelectric plants. It's still a lot to choke down. Could Williams be planning on buying electric or steam or heat from the Beaver? Could they be investors in the project? Current or future? | |
from: Bottom Line | on: 10-29-2010 09:19AM I Agree (0) - I Disagree (0) |
Glad some people arent being fooled by these proponents. The McNeil biomass plant at Burlington VT tops the list as the #1 polluter in the state. This is what we spend taxpayer money thats supposed to be for "green" technology on? Thin film solar is here, geothermal is here. New Jersey is building at 24 MWH thin film solar array, enough to power 3500 plus homes, with little to no pollution. Lets get real with green, not use what Fred Flintstone would use. Editor: These were not proponents; they were speaking from their expertise on how government regulates and permits. | |
from: Weather01089 | on: 10-29-2010 10:16AM I Agree (0) - I Disagree (0) |
Twenty years ago, residents in Williamstown were opposed to the building of a large co-generation incinerator in Pittsfield, at that time known as Altresco. Time has passed and you don't hear anything about the plant now managed by Covanta Energy Corp. In fact, my understanding is that all Williamstown's household trash that we take to the transfer station is incinerated there and that the plant is starving for more stuff to burn. Cool, huh? In recent years, Covanta has been fined thousands of $$$ for numerous emissions violations at its plants including at least two fines for violations in Pittsfield, MA one of which was for failing to report its emissions violations, and another for exceeding allowable dioxin emissions by almost 350c. For this company the fines probably are not a big deal. On the other hand, breathing the air, is a big deal, whether we know we are breathing it or not! | |
from: Bottom Line | on: 10-29-2010 02:20PM I Agree (2) - I Disagree (0) |
Paul is leaning in the wrong direction on this one. Our ability to regulate Industrial pollution through law has drastically increased since the days of Sprague electric and the Tannery in Pownal. What are we really talking about here? We are talking about burning wood, and using the harvest of an abundant renewable fuel source ( local tree's) to produce electricity and wood pellets for local homes. Laws also protest local forests from clear cutting and disproportionate harvests. I do agree that property owners near the site may experience a decrease in property value that should be compensated for. I am one of those property owners... but I won't protest if I am given nothing, because the benefit to the larger community far supersedes the risk to my property value in this case. While hundreds of millions of dollars in tax incentives as well as hundreds of jobs a plant like this will produce are certainly attractive for the interests of the local economy, we need to be honest about the Elephant in the room here. A century of warfare waged largely for control of energy has led us to a place where we are currently sending a lot of young people overseas to fight a fight that is in part, a fight we wage because of our dependence on overseas energy. We truly need to think globally and act locally before we press the easy button and say "no". While bio fuel is not the only solution, it can and should be part of the solution. This plant will produce electricity and wood pellets to heat homes. While that may be a loud and unattractive process, it is nothing compared to the ugliness of war. We should proceed with caution, but proceed we must. We must not maintain the status quo in the ways in which we consume and produce energy. That is the global priority. I own property right next to this plant, and I am from this area. Our first obligation here as a community is to use this opportunity given to us by the Obama administration to create this viable alternative energy biomass plant, reduce our consumption of outside energy resources, and allow for the creation of much needed jobs. | |
from: H Carter | on: 12-12-2010 07:59AM I Agree (0) - I Disagree (0) |
Williamstown Fire Committee Talks Station Project Cuts, Truck Replacement
By Stephen DravisiBerkshires Staff
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — The Prudential Committee on Wednesday signed off on more than $1 million in cost cutting measures for the planned Main Street fire station.
Some of the "value engineering" changes are cosmetic, while at least one pushes off a planned expense into the future.
The committee, which oversees the Fire District, also made plans to hold meetings over the next two Wednesdays to finalize its fiscal year 2025 budget request and other warrant articles for the May 28 annual district meeting. One of those warrant articles could include a request for a new mini rescue truck.
The value engineering changes to the building project originated with the district's Building Committee, which asked the Prudential Committee to review and sign off.
In all, the cuts approved on Wednesday are estimated to trim $1.135 million off the project's price tag.
The biggest ticket items included $250,000 to simplify the exterior masonry, $200,000 to eliminate a side yard shed, $150,000 to switch from a metal roof to asphalt shingles and $75,000 to "white box" certain areas on the second floor of the planned building.
The white boxing means the interior spaces will be built but not finished. So instead of dividing a large space into six bunk rooms and installing two restrooms on the second floor, that space will be left empty and unframed for now.
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