Tag Archives: air quality permit

Just say no to biomass –VDT to VLCIA

VDT reported on Biomass plant misses deadlines, but what do they really think? The title is my paraphrase of Sunday’s editorial title, It’s all up to the Industrial Authority:
In two months, less than 60 days away, Wiregrass Power LLC is supposed to break ground on the biomass facility in Lowndes County. By now, they are supposed to have contracts with power companies to sell the electricity to and with suppliers to purchase the wood waste. They have neither, nor does the company have an agreement with the city of Valdosta to purchase the wastewater from the sewage treatment plant.
Well, the City of Valdosta could refuse to sell the wastewater. And maybe the Lowndes County Commission could exercise its fiduciary responsibility. But, sure, the Industrial Authority could just say no.
And yet the folks at the Industrial Authority appear to be rather nonchalant about the fact that this company has yet again broken its agreement. They have the power to renogiate the terms of the agreement and they also have the power to cancel it, but neither is happening. Instead, they are giving the company all the leeway they need to continue dragging this project along that the community doesn’t want.
Folks? Like Col. Ricketts? But remember, he and Lame-Duck Lofton are only Continue reading

Biomass plant misses deadlines –VDT

David Rodock writes on the front page of the Sunday VDT today (the highest profile news source for the region) that Biomass plant misses deadlines: Will the plant move forward?
The Wiregrass Power LLC biomass facility was supposed to have met a number of project goals established by the Economic Development Agreement (EDA) between the company and the Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority by April 1, 2011. According to Allen Ricketts, Industrial Authority project manager, those goals still have yet to be met.

The specific goals in the agreement were that a “finalized engineering procurement construction contract” would be ready by March 31. By April 1, the company was supposed to have finalized both a power purchase/transmission agreement along with a wastewater/biosolids agreement.

They’ve been slipping deadlines for quite some time. According to page 4 of that EDA (which you can see for yourself on the LAKE web site): Continue reading

PCA air permit

Here is the latest air permit I can find for the PCA plant in Clyattville.
The 30-day public review started on July 14, 2009 and ended on September 10, 2009. Comments were not received by the Division.
Given those dates, this seems like the permit corresponding to the current equipment at the PCA plant.

Somebody might want to compare the emissions with those for the proposed Wiregrass Power LLC plant.

Here are some of the emissions listed in this permit: Continue reading

Seth Gunning LTE in the VDT

This is the text of Seth Gunning’s letter to the editor that the Valdosta Daily Times printed on 20 Dec 2010. Here’s video of the referenced air quality permit hearing. -jsq
Recently on Thursday December 16th, State Judge Ronit Walker denied air quality permits for a proposed coal plant in Sandersville, Georgia. Judge Walker cited the Georgia Environmental Protection Divisions failure to properly review permits, and their lack of enforcement of basic Clean Air Act standards for several hazardous emissions.

Flashback to April 27th in Valdosta Georgia when Environmental Protection Division Air Branch Manager Eric Cornwell openly admitted to having NOT READ the air permit application for Wiregrass Biomass LLC’s proposal to build a hotly contested 40mw power plant&emdash; during a Valdosta EPD hearing meant to evaluate those permits.

Today, the Valdosta Industrial Authority is hazardously entrenched

Continue reading

EPA Call for Comments on Biomass Greenhouse Gas Emissions by Monday 13 Sep 2010

Here’s the online EPA call cover page:
On July 9, 2010, OAR Assistant Administrator Gina McCarthy signed a Call for Information in which EPA requests public comment and information from interested parties on approaches to accounting for greenhouse gas emissions from bioenergy and other biogenic sources.

The purpose of this Call is to request comment on developing an approach for such emissions under the Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) and Title V Programs (GHG Tailoring Rule) as well as to receive data submissions about these sources and their emissions, general technical comments on accounting for these emissions, and comments on the underlying science that should inform possible accounting approaches. GHG emissions from bioenergy and other biogenic sources are those generated during combustion or decomposition of biologically-based material, and include sources such as, but not limited to, utilization of forest or agricultural products for energy, wastewater treatment and livestock management facilities, landfills, and fermentation processes for ethanol production.

The EPA page provides several ways to send in comments.

Also, Stop Spewing Carbon Campaign has prepared this handy link for submitting comments to the call.

See these links for much more about biomass, especially as proposed for Valdosta and Lowndes County, Georgia, and for carbon dioxide in particular. The air quality permit for the Wiregrass Power LLC biomass plant has no restrictions at all on CO2.

-jsq

Biomass plant air quality permit approved, but is that final?

Georgia EPD approved the air quality permit for the Wiregrass Power LLC biomass plant on Perimeter Road just outside Valdosta in Lowndes County, with an effective date of July 19, 2010 (PDF, Word). Somebody may want to do the exercise of comparing the approved permit with the application to see if the process was entirely rubberstamp or whether any changes at all were made after the many questions people asked at the public hearing.

Meanwhile, is that it? Will the plant be built? Not necessarily: Continue reading