http://www.rutlandherald.com/article/20140405/OPINION02/704059980/0/7DAY
Environment is ours to protect
April 05,2014
Rutland Herald
For the second time in the last quarter century the people of North Springfield have escaped the blight of a biomass power plant being forced upon them. Springfield village residents should also breathe a sigh of relief as this latest tree-burning power plant would have contributed heavily to unhealthy levels of air pollution, a decrease in town water quality and numerous other problems.
If plans for this latest biomass plant had been brought to the public’s attention at an earlier date, and if more research with and consultation with experts had been done, and all negative aspects of wood-burning power had been revealed at the outset, much anguish and much money could have been saved by those citizens who took it upon themselves to exercise stewardship over the quality of life in our town.
To profit by taking from others money, land, quality of life and to harm the environment in the name of profits for a few is unconscionable, and this is happening far too often in today’s world of money vs. environment. When businesses create jobs and do so by enterprises that impose consequences for people and the environment, we need to study and understand the effects on the environment and quality of life. Our elected officials have an obligation to educate themselves, to act and vote in the interests of the people along with the memoranda and other documents they sign.
By the same token, it is the responsibility of each individual to be informed. Everyone needs to speak out against hidden agendas, back room deals and injustice. “Freedom is not free.” We all have an obligation to participate. We must demand that the Vermont right to know law be observed by our elected and appointed officials. We must demand that elected and appointed officials truly hold open meetings, warned sufficiently with decisions in the open and in a timely way.
If we are to remain a viable democracy with freedom for all, we must not give up our freedom by letting others decide for us, or the work for us; nor should anyone exercise their freedom by stepping on the freedom of others for their own self-interest.
JEAN M. WILLARD
North Springfield
For the second time in the last quarter century the NIMBYs of North Springfield have escaped the blight of a biomass power plant being forced upon them...succeeding instead through their paranoid delusions in perpetuating the decades long economic blight from which Springfield seems unable to escape.
ReplyDeleteI find it amazing there are still those that are so desperate they would even consider this type of plant anywhere near where they reside. Wake up, it's a easy decision to see this would be the worst thing this community could do for itself. Nothing is going to "save" Springfield from itself. It is what it is, a washed up town with it's best years in the rear view mirror.
ReplyDeleteSpringfield isn't necessarily 'washed up'. It has been about 20 years since the 'handwriting on the wall' became clear enough for anyone to read who was looking: "The Machine Tool Industry Is Dead In Springfield", the message said. That really isn't as long ago as it feels. There is probably still time to prevent Springfield from becoming ONLY a prison town, without importing dirty industry to replace what was - except for careless and unnecessary ground pollution - remarkably productive clean industry. The presence of the prison doesn't help, simply because the upper management of clean industrial companies - both existing and start-up - tends to look at the social environment its employees would come into. Can Springfield present the reality of an Attractive Place To Live And Work? Not at the moment; maybe later?
DeleteYour condescending attitude is apropos of the town's, state's, and nation's economic malaise; and quite revealing about your own ignorance!
ReplyDeleteNice article, JEAN!!
ReplyDeleteNorth Springfield is pretty good at killing projects, the question is whether they are any good at starting and completing projects. It is, however, time to move on and put this particular debacle behind us. It serves no purpose for NOSAG to continue to gloat over the fact that they killed a project which had the potential for opening up the industrial park. Now they need to devote their energies to coming up with the money to build the required access road improvements, increasing the grand list, and dealing with the rising water rates due to overcapacity and diminished usage.
ReplyDeleteI would like to make it abundantly clear that I am NOT Jean Willard and I do not share her views.
ReplyDelete