Newsletters
August 2009 - Somerset NRG, LNG, Mosquitos
WELCOME TO GREEN FUTURES !
AUGUST, 2009
“I see in the very near future a crisis approaching that unnerves me and cause me to tremble for the safety of my country ….Corporations have been enthroned, an era of corruption in high places will follow, and the moneypower of the country will endeavor to prolong its reign by working upon the prejudices of the people until the wealth is aggregated in a few hands and the Republic is destroyed.
-Abraham Lincoln
“There are 70 pesticides that are listed as known or possible carcinogens. Of those 70, 44 are in use today, 23 are used on our food.”
-Gina Solomon
TRASH INCINERATION COMING TO SOMERSET -
Somerset; buy your gas masks NOW! Stock up on asthma nebulizers too. Trash incineration is in your future.
Here’s the latest news article from the August 27th Herald News. Reporter: Marc Munroe Dion.
Somerset —
About 25 opponents of coal-burning power plants gathered in front of the smaller of the town’s two power plants Wednesday to demand that the plant “clean up or close down.”
Somerset residents and representatives of environmental groups - the Conservation Law Foundation, Massachusetts Coalition for Clean Air and the Toxics Action Center assembled across Riverside Avenue for a short speech before attempting to deliver 1,000 signed petitions to plant owner NRG Energy asking the company to either shut down the plant or abandon the plan to burn construction debris as part of a new coal gasification process.
The company wants to retrofit the circa 1925 plant to burn about 35 percent less coal, using wood and other natural fuels to make up the difference.
According to NRG, the process will cut sulfur dioxide and mercury emissions by 95 percent and nitrogen oxide emissions by more than 60 percent.
Gasification works by applying extreme heat, above 8,000 degrees, to coal and other materials, breaking them down into their component molecules to form a synthetic natural gas. That gas is then burned to power the plant, with 10 percent of the electricity produced powering the gasification process.
Several years ago, when the company faced strict limits on the emission of carbon dioxide and other air pollutants under Massachusetts’ “Filthy Five” power plant rules, NRG had agreed to shut down or clean up the 80-year-old plant by 2010. But in 2007, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection granted NRG permission to retrofit the plant with experimental coal gasification technology without requiring the plant to undergo an environmental review.
“Six years ago, NRG promised the local community that they would clean up this plant by switching to natural gas or close,” said Meredith Lee of Toxics Action Center. “Just this month, NRG applied for a permit to burn up to 100 percent construction debris.
“Keep your promise,” Lee said. “Clean up this plant or close it down.
“NRG’s new plan for Somerset is nothing but an incinerator in disguise,” said Lee. “Their new plan to burn toxic construction waste will emit chemicals like lead and mercury into air. I urge David Crane to uphold his promise to the Somerset community by repowering the plant with natural gas or shutting down next year.”
Crane is NRG Energy CEO and chairman of its board of directors.
“For four generations now, Somerset residents have dealt with pollution from this plant,” said Shanna Cleveland, an attorney for the Conservation Law Foundation.
“We respect people’s rights to disagree with our project, but NRG is maintaining its promise to repower our site with a cleaner technology — one that has a significantly improved environmental profile,” said NRG Spokeswoman Lori Neuman. “In addition to the environmental benefits, this project also saves jobs and a significant tax-paying business in the town of Somerset.”
Neuman also said the original approved permit allowed NRG to use construction and demolition wood as eligible biomass once the company secured a Department of Environmental Protection-approved Beneficial Use Determination, known as a BUD.
“We’re looking to be able to use more biomass,” Neuman said in an e-mailed statement. “The original approved permit allowed us to use up to 35 percent of eligible biomass. In the amended Emission Control Plan which we filed earlier this month, we’re asking to be able to use up to 100 percent DEP-approved eligible biomass. This is a very green and responsible project.”
Neuman also said the plant will not be “burning” fuel, but “gasifying it by the use of plasma gasification technology, which the company says is entirely different from combustion technology.”
“We wanted to show David Crane that Somerset residents are tired of broken promises,” said Pauline Rodrigues, local resident and member of the Massachusetts Coalition for Clean Air “We deserve the right to breathe clean air and not worry about what our children are breathing, and David Crane should honor his promise.”
Demonstrators made their way to the plant’s main entrance and attempted to present their signed petition to management but were told by security that no one was there to receive the petition.
“We’ll mail it to them,” said Lee as the group dispersed.
Note the line, in the above article, “Just this month, NRG applied for a permit to burn up to 100% construction debris.” Originally, if you remember, NRG was just going to burn “clean” coal as a fuel source to fire their antiquated power plant. We predict it won’t be long until NRG applies for a permit to burn up to 100% solid waste.
Our Commonwealth is now drowning in trash since state environmental regulatory agencies failed to implement past solid waste master plans. Now, desperate for a quick solution, these agencies are turning back to trash incineration under the guise of an “alternative” energy fuel for electrical generation.
Locally, Allied Waste’s Mount Trashmore, the largest solid waste dump in the state, is just about maxed-out. Allied Waste and Fall River are frantically searching for any small piece of dump property that still has room for more trash disposal.
Southeastern Massachusetts towns are no longer rural. Residential development and sprawl preclude establishment of future solid waste dumps in this area.
If you’re new to this issue, here’s some background from previous newsletters:
The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, (aka Massachusetts Department Encouraging Pollution) (DEP) has okayed Somerset NRG (former Montaup Plant) to move forward on its plans to gasify dirty coal to power their electrical generating facility.
Somerset NRG is a power plant that is so antiquated and polluting that it was supposed to close by 2010.
With federal and state monies available for “alternative energy projects,” sharpies and other financial raptors see vast profits to be made at taxpayer ...and the environment's …expense. Rather than investing and promoting development of true alternatives and renewables, many leaders in the energy industry and their political parasites in the legislature, are all too willing to grab the easy money made available through lobbying by the BIG COAL and trash hauling/incineration industries.
We are a founding member of the Massachusetts Coalition for Clean Air. Folks in Somerset are continuing to organize to oppose this outrageous proposal.
An organizational meeting was held at the Old Somerset Town Hall, August 31, it was called with short notice so we weren’t able to email out an “Action Alert.” Hopefully, organizing leadership will post a regular meeting schedule …soon …that will allow time for those interested to be informed of the date, time, and location of future meetings.
LNG – AND THE BEAT GOES ON
John Hess, head honcho of Amerada Hess, is frantically attempting to influence the federal regulatory agencies and lobbying and financially supporting those politicians that he believes can help him locate his ill-conceived LNG project here in our area.
Despite overwhelming scientific evidence that safety and security cannot be assured, the project continues to move slowly forward.
Hess Weaver’s Cove also admits their project will irreparably harm Narragansett Bay, Mount Hope Bay, and the Taunton River.
Hopefully, Hess billions can’t influence all of our federal regulatory agencies and buy all of our elected officials.
More time will tell!
MOSQUITO BUZZ –
This is the time of the year county mosquito control folks live for.
Mosquitoes are sure to turn up, somewhere in the southeastern part of the state, carrying West Nile virus or eastern equine encephalitis (EEE).
The highly paid, with your tax dollars, mosquito control public relations person will be quick to whip the news media into a frenzy …the goal being to get people to endorse their wasteful and unproven spraying program.
West Nile virus and triple E are extremely rare in humans and repellants are the answer …not wholesale spraying of the environment with endocrine disruptors that kill other critters and end up in human critters too.
Yes, both mosquito borne diseases are not something anyone would want, but they are extremely rare. There are more victims of venomous insect stings, locally, than of mosquito borne illnesses.
If you want to keep the BIG PESTICIDE companies and mosquito control from having their way with you …you can ask that your property be excluded from spraying.
This from their website:
Wide Area Applications of pesticides and mosquito control applications of pesticides approved by the State Reclamation and Mosquito Control Board shall not be made to private property which has been designated for exclusion from such application by a person living on or legally in control of said property.
Designation from exclusion from Wide Area Application of pesticides and mosquito control application of pesticides approved by the State Reclamation and Mosquito Control Board may be made by supplying the clerk of the municipality in which such lands lie with a certified letter providing the name, address, and telephone number (if any) of the person requesting the exclusion, the address of the property to be excluded, and a description of the types of pesticide application programs for which exclusion is requested.
Designation for exclusion may be made prior to March 1st of each year and shall be effective from April 1st of that year through March 31 of the following year.
AUTUMN –
Many feel that autumn in New England is the best season of them all. Not too hot, not too cold …and beautiful fall foliage, crisp apples, bright pumpkins, fragrant grapes, etc., etc., etc.
Click on our
for autumnal things to do.
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