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Sunday, February 07, 2010

Environment - Even more on "Crawford County residents question biomass power project"

Updating this Jan. 28th ILB entry, Grace Schneider of the Louisville Courier Journal attended another public meeting, this one in Scott County, and reported on it in this Feb. 4th story. Her earlier story was headed "Defining 'clean' wood is key for biomass power projects." This one is headed "Biomass plant foes pack Scott meeting: IDEM says permitlikely to be issued." Some quotes:

SCOTTSBURG, Ind. — Opponents of a proposed biomass energy plant in Scott County peppered environmental regulators with questions about the project at a public meeting this week — and sought to rally other residents to join the fight against it.
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Critics told the more than 400 people who turned out Wednesday night at Scottsburg High School that the best chance to derail the planned $100million wood-burning power plant was to pressure local political leaders who support the project, rather than expect help from the Indiana Department of Environmental Management.

During a meeting that lasted nearly six hours, representatives of the state agency conceded that despite concerns about the location of the plant on U.S. 31 near a school and other potential impacts on the community, IDEM has a narrowly defined role in examining technical details and ensuring the plans meet all state and federal requirements.

“I have yet to hear anything to suggest this permit could not be issued,” Matt Stuckey, chief of the agency's air permitting division, said at one point. * * *

No one representing Liberty Green Renewables LLC of Harrison County, the partnership seeking to build the plant and a similar facility near Milltown in Crawford County, spoke at the meeting.

It was set up to let residents question IDEM officials about the proposed permit that would outline emission limits and other aspects of the power station.

The facilities would burn wood to generate electricity to sell to utilities across the region.

Proposed permits for both plants would limit Liberty Green to 245 tons of nitrogen oxide emissions and 226 tons of carbon dioxide emissions a year — amounts that are below thresholds to qualify the operations as “major sources” of pollution and necessitate more extensive impact studies and pollution-control devices. * * *

Dennis Murnane drew applause when he asked Stuckey and two other IDEM officials what he might include in written comments to “get you to reject the permit.”

The men replied that it was unlikely his comments would persuade them to do that. * * *

The works board — composed of Mayor Bill Graham, Charles Rose and Ray Zollman — has been criticized by City Council member Terry Amick, who filed a lawsuit Wednesday claiming the board overstepped its authority by optioning city-owned property to Liberty Green without the council's approval.

Stuckey, however, said he doubted the litigation would affect IDEM's decision.

State regulations dictate that the agency deal with the permit regardless of other property or zoning aspects, he said.

Regulators acknowledged, meantime, that they're considering allowing Liberty Green to burn switch grass along with “clean” wood at the plant, pending an analysis of emissions data for switch grass.

Stuckey also said IDEM is reviewing new information submitted by the company about the height of the plant's smokestack.

The Bloomington Alternative has a long story by Linda Greene, dated Feb. 7th, and headed "Citizens fight biomass incinerator in Crawford County."

Posted by Marcia Oddi on February 7, 2010 11:47 AM
Posted to Environment