Sparks fly over proposed wood-fired electric plant

Staff members from Vermont's Public Service Board visited the proposed site for what's being called the North Springfield Sustainable Energy Project.
http://www.wcax.com/story/17040076/sparks-fly-over-proposed-wood-fired-electric-plant

WCAX.COM
Sparks fly over proposed wood-fired electric plant
Posted: Feb 28, 2012 6:46 PM EST Updated: Feb 28, 2012 9:03 PM EST
By Alexei Rubenstein
NORTH SPRINGFIELD, Vt. -

Staff members from Vermont's Public Service Board visited the proposed site for what's being called the North Springfield Sustainable Energy Project. The Massachusetts-based developer that owns this industrial park is working with a company to build a 35-megawatt wood biomass-fired electric plant.

"It's a safe project, it's a good project for the community, it's a good use of our land and it has a lot of other benefits that are great for the state of Vermont and certainly this region here," said Adam Winstanley of Winstanley Enterprises.

Supporters say the $100 million plant would employ upward of 30 people full time and provide a tremendous boost to the local economy.

"I think for the town and the region this is a transformative economic development project in an existing industrial park," said Bob Flint of the Springfield Regional Development Corporation.

But neighbors of the proposed plant like Randall Susman, who would look down on the 140-foot smokestack from his house, say they're concerned about health impacts.

"In the summertime when the wind is less this is essentially going to be the analog of the LA basin and they'll probably be an inversion layer of some kind. We don't know. There are so many unknowns that it gives us pause," Susman said.

More than 100 residents have organized to oppose the plant. Beyond health issues, they're concerned about the increase in truck traffic hauling wood to the site and about increased water usage depleting local aquifers.

"Our message will be concerns for the health safety and welfare of the people in Springfield and North Springfield," said Bob Kischko of the North Springfield Action Group.

A number of environmental groups have also lined up to oppose the plan because they say the amount and type of wood needed to run the plant is not sustainable. They are also concerned about the particulate levels coming from the smokestack. But developers say their brand of biomass is misunderstood.

"We're only looking at clean woodchips, but when you talk about biomass and you read some of the negative statements they're including biomass that's garbage, there including biomass that's sewage. They're including biomass that's construction and demolition debris that has paint and other toxics on it-- we're not doing that," said Don Ingold of Weston Solutions.

"Everybody in this neighborhood has lived amicably with the light industrial activities taking place there. A power plant is a game changer," Susman said.

If the Public Service Board approves the plan, developers hope they can have the plant up and operating and by the latter half of 2014.

The Public Service Board is holding a hearing in Springfield Tuesday at 7 p.m. on the proposed plant at the Springfield High School. Click here for more information.
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