Border Groups Join Forces Against Biomass Plant
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Concerned Citizens of Pownal and Concerned Citizens Williamstown have formed the Bennington-Berkshire Citizens Coalition to fight the siting of a 29.5 megawatt power-generation and wood pellet manufacturing facility at the former Green Moutain Racetrack just over the border from Massachusetts.
Beaver Wood Energy is pursuing a Certificate of Public Good with the state of Vermont with hopes of breaking ground for the $250 million facility before the end of the year. The company is also proposing a similar plant in Fair Haven, Vt., and is partnering with Bechtel Corp. to build them.
While the Pownal Select Board has been cautious in its opinions regarding the plant, residents and those in Williamstown have raised concerns over pollution, ash, emissions, dust and noise eminating from the defunct track. The Williamstown Selectmen submitted a letter of concern to the Pownal board that was to be included in correspondence to the Vermont Public Service Board.
The cross-border coalition said its goal is to "slow the permitting process to allow local residents and stakeholders, including the staff, faculty and students of Williams College, adequate time to study the proposal and the environmental and quality-of-life impacts a biomass incinerator would have on the community."
On Saturday morning, a dozen or so protestors were at the racetrack gate with signs; posters on the group's Facebook page, Southern Vermont Against Biomass, reported positive responses from motorists but a less welcoming confrontation with an individual believed to be one of the track's owners.
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The group is also planning another forum on Saturday, Nov. 20, at 4 p.m. at First Congregational Church in Williamstown with three panelists on biomass and biomass incinerators. For more information on other upcoming meetings, click here.
Deborah Rothschild of Williamstown, a member of the group, presented the Selectmen last week with a lengthy list of violations and fines she said were incurred by the owners of Beaver Wood Energy for facilities in Maine, adding they were "just the tip of the iceberg."
Thomas Emero and William Bousquet had been involved with previous incarnations of Beaver Wood — Alternate Energy Inc. and GenPower Services LLC — racking up $130,000 for air violations for its biomass plant in Chester, Maine, she said. Records received thorugh public information requests in Maine, she continued, found the biomass plant in Ashland, Maine, between 1998 and 2000 had 44 violations for exceeding the limits of carbon monoxide emssions, 126 violations for air opacity, 79 incidents of carbon-emission violations and two nitrous oxides violations.
Quebec energy firm Boralex now owns most of the biomass plants in Maine.
"The history of litigation these corporations faced demonstrates that they do not have regard to the health and well-being of the communities where they build," said Rothschild.
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The company is asking for an expedited hearing to be able to break ground by Dec. 30 to get an immediate tax benefit from federal stimulus funds to close an estimated $52 million gap in its financing; after that date, the benefit would be doled out in measures.
While Beaver Wood wants to forge ahead, some think it should put on the brakes.
"Everyone I've spoken too has said they'd like it slow down," said Selectman Tom Costley. "If this is something that's giong to be part of our community for a generation or more, let's take more weeks, at most a handful of months.
"I think everyone can agree — let's go down the middle and take our time about it."
The Nov. 8 Selectmen's meeting can be viewed in full here.
