Oregon: Biomass Battleground

- by Samantha Chirillo, Energy Justice Network

[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"99","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"319","style":"width: 420px; height: 279px; float: left; margin-left: 7px; margin-right: 7px;","title":"Seneca Sustainable Energy biomass power facility","width":"480"}}]]Timber Town Eugene, Oregon buzzes along nearly oblivious to the forest destruction and herbicide poisoning around it. Much like a frog in a pot of water brought to a slow boil, the timber industry relies on what anthropologist and author Jared Diamond referred to as “landscape amnesia” in his book, Collapse — slow environmental degradation that would be offensive if only at a faster pace.

The scenario with the Seneca Sustainable Energy biomass power facility, located adjacent to the Seneca timber mill, is disturbingly similar. The State and local air authorities might let Seneca have its way, but no ad campaign on the part of Seneca is going to hide the reality that biomass energy, like the chemical clearcut regime it emerged from, is a dirty, destructive dead-end.

The NRA and the Anti-Biomass Movement 

Don’t worry. This article won’t flesh out the arguments for or against an assault weapons ban, mandatory background checks, or restrictions on magazine size. It doesn’t actually have anything to do with guns at all.

Whether you think the National Rifle Association (NRA) is a fortress of freedom or a bulwark of bloodlust, there’s one thing almost everyone can agree on: how effective the organization has been in its mission-driven advocacy to “protect the Second Amendment right to bear arms.”

The secret of the NRA’s success (besides copious funding)? Crystal clear messaging and uncompromising political pressure. Two aspects the national anti-biomass movement must adopt in order to halt the construction of dirty biomass energy facilities. 

Waste to Energy a Health Hazard?

- by Mark Martin, June 23, 2013. Source: Christian Broadcasting Network 

Do you know where your trash goes? Landfills aren't the only option. Some goes toa  plant, where it's burned for energy. But some believe that may not be such a good idea.

Like a giant claw, a huge crane slowly descends into a pit filled with tons of trash, or "municipal solide waste" as it's known in the industry. The refuse holding pit is located at the Energy/Resource Recovery Facility near Washington, D.C. It is Covanta Energy's largest "energy from waste" facility. 

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, it's one of 86 plants that burns municipal solid waste to recover energy. The plant processes around 3,000 tons of municipal solid waste each day. Company leaders say that produces enough electricity for 80,000 homes.

Largest Biomass Incinerator in the World Shuts Down

- by Jan Hromadko, July 8, 2013. Source: Euro Investor 

RWE AG (RWE.XE) said Monday it has abandoned plans to extend the operating life of the world's largest biomass-fired power plant, citing poor energy demand, low power prices and a heavy debt load for forcing the German utility to cut back on spending.

The 750-megawatt power plant in Tilbury, located east of London on the river Thames, is now expected to be shut down at the end of October, the company said.

The former coal-fired Tilbury plant was converted into a 100% biomass-fueled facility in 2010 in anticipation that it could operate longer than presently allowed under European Union climate protection legislation, known as the Large Combustion Plant Directive, or LCPD.

Burning Wood is Not the Solution to Climate Change

- by Sophie Bastable, Biofuelwatch

Under the guise of ‘green energy’, burning wood in power stations has become a massive growth industry in the UK, with by far the biggest demand coming from coal-fired power station operators. So far, five of them have announced plans to convert, either partly or completely, to biomass. 

These are Tilbury in Essex, Ironbridge in Shropshire, Eggborough and Drax in Yorkshire, and Lynemouth in Northumberland. Between them these power stations will require almost six times as much wood as the UK produces in total every year. That statistic alone shows just how unsustainable wood-fired power stations are and it spells disaster for the world’s natural habitats, human rights, and our hopes of combating climate change.

Biofuels and Biomass Lose Favor: Investors Beware!

- by Rachel Smolker, Biofuelwatch

Having spent the past eight years or so of my life fighting back against large-scale commercial and industrial bioenergy, it feels good to finally see the tides turning, albeit slowly, maybe not always for the right reasons, and perhaps too little too late. But consider that in just the past two weeks there have been some remarkable signs that awareness is growing and policies may be slowly shifting. 

A few examples: 

The DC Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against the EPA, stating the agency has no basis for a three-year deferral that would have exempted CO2 from "biogenic" sources (ethanol, biomass, municipal wastes, landfill gases) from greenhouse gas regulations under the Clean Air Act.

END OF THE ROAD FOR GREENFIELD BIOMASS PROJECT

Contact: Janet Sinclair 413-625-2886 / 413-478-4333

Concerned Citizens of Franklin County Greenfield, MA

July 18, 2013 

The plaintiffs appealing the Greenfield, MA Zoning Board decision to grant a Special Permit for a 47 Megawatt biomass power plant filed a request in the Franklin Superior Court to annul the permit. The request for the Final Judgment came after Cambridge, MA based Matthew Wolfe of Pioneer Renewable Energy allowed a July 16, 2013 deadline to pass.  The plaintiffs and the developer had agreed that if an amended permit was not submitted to the Greenfield Planning Board by the deadline, the permit would be annulled. 

The permit was issued in July 22, 2009. 450 people attended the permit hearings. Most who spoke were against the project, expressing concerns including questions about the wood supply and negative health and environmental impacts. 

Seneca Biomass Incinerator Requests Increase in Pollution Cap

- by Diane Dietz, July 17, 2013. Source: The Register-Guard 

The owners of a 2½-year-old electricity plant fueled with logging scraps have struggled to meet clean air standards since the facility began operations on the outskirts of Eugene and are asking regulators for a little more leeway to pollute. 

Seneca Sustainable Energy, on Highway 99 north of Eugene, has been caught by regulators spouting too much carbon monoxide, too much dark smoke and too much acetaldehyde — in conjunction with the Seneca sawmill next door. Plus, there has been uncertainty about how much fine particulate the plant emits.

In addition, the company ran seven months with its pollution controls for nitrogen oxides switched off, according to regulatory reports.

Biofuel investments at seven-year low

July 8, 2013. Source: Bloomberg

Biomass Plans Withdrawn for Isle of Wight

- by Ross Findon, July 9, 2013. Source: Isle of Wight County Press