http://rutlandherald.com/article/20131102/NEWS02/711029954
Published November 2, 2013 in the Rutland Herald Biomass plant developers move ahead with project By SUSAN SMALLHEER Staff Writer NORTH SPRINGFIELD — The North Springfield Sustainable Energy Project expects to get its state construction and operating permit later this month. Dan Ingold, senior project engineer for the proposed biomass plant, told the annual meeting of the Springfield Regional Development Corp. on Wednesday that he expected the Section 248 permit from the Public Service Board in two or three weeks. Ingold, who works for Weston Solutions, one of the two company partners in the woodchip-fired power plant, said the general contractor for the project had already been on site to start planning the logistics of the ambitious project. “Things are looking very positive,” he said. He said the project is now estimated to generate 37 megawatts of power, which he said was enough to supply all the electrical needs of Windsor County. Ingold said groundbreaking wouldn’t take place until the spring, however. Neighborhoods in North Springfield have fought the project, hiring a lawyer to represent their concerns before the Public Service Board. North Springfield Action Group members believe the biomass plant will emit toxic, harmful smoke and particulates, adversely affecting people’s health. They also said the large plant, which will be the largest structure in Springfield, will drive down property values. Ingold estimated that up to 600 jobs would be created during the construction of the project over the next three years. Full-time staff for the project will be close to 30 people, with between 120 and 160 more jobs in the logging and trucking industry. Ingold didn’t return phone calls seeking further comment on his brief address during the SRDC annual meeting, which was held at Black River Meats in the North Springfield Industrial Park. Ingold told the businessmen he would be calling on them this winter about them signing on to the biomass plant’s thermal loop, which is expected to offer low-cost heat from the biomass plant. He said the developers had signed a memorandum of understanding with the Agency of Natural Resources over its concerns on wood harvest procedures. He said that there was plenty of available wood in the region to supply the biomass plant.
Everyone knows that this is an environmentally unsound and toxic plant that will be soon operating which the majority of the area's residents vehemently oppose. Unfortunately it will be built in order to line the pockets of a select few. What a surprise! The public desire be damned and so will their health. The silence from the Springfield medical community is deafening while they collect their pieces of silver.
ReplyDelete"He said that there was plenty of available wood in the region to supply the biomass plant."
ReplyDeleteWhat is this based on? Did the Agency of Natural Resources or Weston Solutions conduct a scientific study on the sustainability of this project or did they just see a lot of trees in the area and figure that was enough? I'm sure the Springfield Town Forest will be among the first to be over-forested; I just hope the local State Forests do not meet the same fate. I'd hate to loose access to the Durand and Proctor-Piper State Forests, among others.
Glad to see progress being made!
ReplyDeleteThe only people who "know" that this is "environmentally unsound" and/or "toxic" are the vocal minority of disgruntled NIMBYs who lack the technical background to render such judgments. Their emotion-charged rhetoric was convincing only to themselves. I for one am gratified that the attempts on the part of a handful of would-be activists to sway public opinion by relentlessly publishing logically flawed editorials and irrelevent comparisons in regional newspapers and on Facebook pages had no effect.
ReplyDeleteThis project is the first step in rehabilitating the region's non-existent economy. By covering the electricity needs of Windsor county, the biomass project furthermore releases the region from the politically charged grip of foreign oil and fills the energy gap left by the closing of Vermont Yankee.
Best of all it will help shore up Springfield's image problem. With the biomass project, Springfield will stand alongside Middlebury, Norwich, Bulrington and Montpelier as towns progressive and forward thinking enough to implement this technology. Better than being mentioned in the same sentence as towns known for poverty and drug addiction, doncha think?
Odd that opposition to the biomass projects in Middlebury and Montpelier was virtually non-existent, unless you count out-of-state interest groups based in Mass attempting to foment hysteria. Could it be that the level of education of residents plays a role in their ability to assess energy technology?
It is great to see this moving forward. Springfield will be a better town! I am glad to see people voicing sound opinions on this subject but it is clear the sound science, technology and history has won. Keep moving forward Springfield!
DeleteJean "Could it be that the level of education of residents plays a role in their ability to assess energy technology?"
Deletethat's almost comical, what part of a WOOD BURNING plant do you with your high intellectual knowledge of ENERGY TECHNOLOGY consider progressive and forward thinking? From what I recall learning in school wood burning has been going on since the beginning of time. There are so many other options we have which would provide us a cleaner alternative, without all added traffic and environmental issues.
So, Mr/Ms Anonymous 3:49, thanks for proving my point.
DeleteOr are you prepared to argue that your caveman ancestors burned wood for the purpose of conversion to electricity?
Did you miss the part about the cooling system? Or thermal recovery system?
I rest my case, NOSAG can't tell the difference between a campfire and a power plant.
Methinks that NIMBY group's time would be better spent going door to door and harassing homeowners who heat with woodstoves.
guess no one remembers in the 70s and 80s when over 200 cars a day when up that road to go to the shop and that would be more traffic then is gonna go up there if its built
ReplyDeleteJust another dinosaur that Springfield will be burdened with in the future.....
ReplyDelete"There are so many other options we have which would provide us a cleaner alternative, without all added traffic and environmental issues. "
ReplyDeleteSuch as?
canada hyrdo, pay the rate and focus on manufacturing, high tech and education. lower the tax rates for biz, attract more tourism. tourism and burning down the forests are mutually exclusive. guaranteed that realestate in springfield will take a hit if this plant moves in. businesses that employ knowledge workers will not associate with this practice. people want to live and work where there is the perception that realestate values will hold and the environment is clean. this project is stone age. ask yourself why this out of state company is targeting springfield. its an age old practice to promise jobs and money to fledgling communities. hey lets build a chemical fertilizer plant in Missouri, no problem. see if this plant would fly in ludlow or woodstock. seems people with money dont want this stuff, why would that be. doesnt springfield deserve the same dignity and respect for its people?
DeleteWon't the plant also be able to burn old tires too ?
ReplyDeleteRemember the pitch on the prison, It will be a minimum security prison.
Just wait for the search for a cellulose replacement plan to kick in.
No more trees, how about rubber ....
time to sell my house before everyone else does.
ReplyDeleteToo late.
DeleteWas this ever put to an up or down vote?
ReplyDelete