Tag Archives: experts

VDT Civics Lesson on How to Stop a Biomass Plant



The VDT explains how to effect change, if anyone is listening.
Editorial, 13 Jan 2010,

Powerless to stop the power plant
:

This week as the rhetoric around the proposed biomass facility has
continued heating up, leading up to

last night’s forum,

one of the main themes has been that “government should do something.”



While the Times does not condone or condemn

Chairman Paulk’s actions in the commission meeting Tuesday night,

understanding the situation may
help shed light on the issue. The county is powerless to do anything to
stop this power plant. The only governmental entity with any power over
the project is the city, and that’s only in the form of the services
being extended and the water being sold to the company, as well as the
sewage sludge that’s being burned. They too are powerless at this
point to stop it.



The editorial continues with the tired old excuse “they can be sued”.
Don’t they have insurance for that?
If the whole thing goes as bad as some opponents predict,
they could be sued for the kind of financial disaster

that faces Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

There is one governmental entity that does have the power.
Ah, here it is:

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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

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