Tag Archives: Marketing

“the health and well-being of my community.” –Dr. Noll to Brad Lofton

Dr. Noll responding to Brad Lofton’s offer to “make sure they get in the appropriate file.” -jsq

From: “Michael G. Noll”

To: “blofton@industrialauthority.com”,
“Mary B. Gooding”,
“Ricketts, Allan”, <aricketts@industrialauthority.com>,
“Copeland, Roy”,
“‘John S. Quarterman'”,
“Susan R. Wehling”,
Kay Harris

Subject: RE: Wiregrass Power, LLC

Date: Sat, 25 Dec 2010 21:37:05 +0000

Mr. Lofton.

If there is one thing I am passionate about, it is the health and
well-being of my community. You do not seem to share that passion.
Since you seem to be passionate about keeping files, why don’t you
finally share your documents with us that prove that biomass is safe.
While we are at it, the environmental impact analysis you keep
referring to would also be useful.

In the mean time, WACE will keep you and the community up-to-date in
regard to newly canceled biomass plants, shut down biomass plants, and
biomass moratoriums … and all due to a combination of economic and
environmental issues and the well established health risks.

Best regards, Michael G. Noll.

“no way shape or form” –Brad Lofton on Dr. Teaf



A week after Brad Lofton failed to produce evidence and offered

to file Dr. Noll’s correspondence “in the appropriate file”,
VLCIA has still not published the videos or slides from their
6 Dec 2010 event at the Rainwater Conference Center.

However, Brad Lofton and Col. Ricketts summarized that event for
the VLCIA board at their recent board meeting,
and they never presented any actual evidence there, either.


Brad Lofton said his toxicologist says the biomass plant in
“no way shape or form” will cause health problems.
Then he rattled off a long list of supporters of a Gainesville biomass plant.
The rest of this post has videos of what he and Col. Ricketts said, plus screenshots
of each of Dr. Teaf’s slides: see if you can find the details.

Continue reading →

“we will make sure they get in the appropriate file.” –Brad Lofton

Mr. Lofton refusing to respond to Dr. Noll’s latest. -jsq

From: “blofton@industrialauthority.com” <blofton@industrialauthority.com>,

To: “Michael G. Noll”,
“Mary B. Gooding”,
“Ricketts, Allan” <aricketts@industrialauthority.com>,
“Copeland, Roy”,
“‘John S. Quarterman'”,
“Susan R. Wehling”,
Kay Harris

Subject: RE: Wiregrass Power, LLC

Date: Sat, 25 Dec 2010 14:01:51 -0500

Dr. Noll-

Please feel free to continue sending e-mails, and we will make sure
they get in the appropriate file. We appreciate your passion for one of
our projects. As I mentioned yesterday, we’re enthusiastically moving
forward at this time, and we will be breaking ground in the Spring.

Thanks,

BL

Sent from my Verizon Wireless Phone

“nothing short of irresponsible” –Dr. Noll to Mr. Lofton

Dr. Noll responding to
Mr. Lofton’s latest.
-jsq

From: “Michael G. Noll”

To: “blofton@industrialauthority.com”,
“Mary B. Gooding”,
“Ricketts, Allan”, <aricketts@industrialauthority.com>,
“Copeland, Roy”,
“‘John S. Quarterman'”,
“Susan R. Wehling”,
Kay Harris

Subject: RE: Wiregrass Power, LLC

Date: Sat, 25 Dec 2010 17:55:18 +0000

Mr. Lofton.

Moving forward with a project like yours

  1. after it has been established that biomass is dirtier than coal (see the
    data we shared from the Georgia EPD)
  2. after it has been established by medical associations throughout the
    country that the hundreds of tons of pollutants your proposed plant
    would spewout (as identified in your own application) would result in
    significant health issues (increase and/or worsening of COPD, asthma,
    cancer, heart disease)

is nothing short of irresponsible and speaks of the lack of respect
you have for the health of our community.

The fact remains that you have not been able to provide quantitative
data or scientific studies that prove that biomass is “clean” or

Continue reading →

“We’re moving forward now …ground breaking … Spring of 2011.” –Brad Lofton

I’m having deja vu from Lofton’s response to my request for substantion
of some of his claims back in September:
“We’re moving forward with permits in hand.”
-jsq

To: “Michael G. Noll”,
“Mary B. Gooding”,
“Ricketts, Allan” <aricketts@industrialauthority.com>,
“Copeland, Roy”,
“‘John S. Quarterman'”,
“Susan R. Wehling”,
Kay Harris

From: “blofton@industrialauthority.com” <blofton@industrialauthority.com>,

Subject: RE: Wiregrass Power, LLC

Date: Fri, 24 Dec 2010 17:08:10 -0500

Dr. Noll,

Please refer to my previous e-mail re our position and the ample
community awareness, substantial documentation, state, federal, local
and environmental support we are proud to enjoy. We’re moving forward
now, and we are looking forward to the ground breaking which will be
Spring of 2011.

Regards,

BL

Sent from my Verizon Wireless Phone

“It is your responsibility to prove us wrong” –Dr. Noll to Mr. Lofton

Dr. Noll responds to Mr. Lofton’s email of 24 Dec 2010.
-jsq

From: “Michael G. Noll”

To: “blofton@industrialauthority.com” <blofton@industrialauthority.com>,
“Mary B. Gooding”,
“Ricketts, Allan” <aricketts@industrialauthority.com>,
“Copeland, Roy”,
“‘John S. Quarterman'”,
“Susan R. Wehling”,
Kay Harris

Subject: RE: Wiregrass Power, LLC

Date: Fri, 24 Dec 2010 21:19:15 +0000

Hello Mr. Lofton.

You might remember that WACE handed out a “Myth vs. Fact” info sheet at
the meeting. On it were clearly outlined major issues we have with your
biomass project. I will only entertain the first three to refresh your
memory, since they are the most important facts for our community:

Continue reading →

A “center of innovation excellence for renewable and sustainable energy in Georgia”?



In a recent message, Brad Lofton wrote

“we plan to move on now and focus our attention on new job and tax revenue creating projects.”
OK, what are those projects?

Back in September Brad Lofton told me that VLCIA had
(beyond whatever Wiregrass LLC is doing)

“other renewable green energy projects”,
which he then
refused to describe.

When I asked about these projects at

the 21 Dec 2010 VLCIA board meeting,
board member Gary Minchew responded that VLCIA couldn’t talk about sensitive
negotiations, but they didn’t want to be secretive.
Earlier I had been talking to the fellow sitting to my left
about his green energy project and whether VLCIA was going to move
forward on it.
He pointed out to the board that he and I were facebook
friends and linked on LinkedIn.
He’s sending me some information; more on that when I get it.
Meanwhile, I wonder why the board wouldn’t talk about his project,
and I remain dubious that VLCIA has any other
“renewable green energy projects”.

In that same meeting,

Col. Ricketts and Brad Lofton went on for some time about
solar energy, saying they were answering citizen concerns.

As one of the people who has asked them most frequently about solar energy,
I have to say

Continue reading →

“Your memory doesn’t serve you correctly” –Lofton to Noll

When can we see these actual studies? And if we could see those VLCIA videos, nobody would have to depend on memory. -jsq

From: Brad Lofton <blofton@industrialauthority.com>

To: Michael Noll,
“Mary B. Gooding”,
Allan Ricketts <aricketts@industrialauthority.com>,
Roy Copeland,
“John S. Quarterman,
“Susan R. Wehling”,
Kay Harris

Date: Fri, 24 Dec 2010 10:51:53 -0500

Subject: Re: Wiregrass Power, LLC

Good morning Dr. Noll-

Thanks for your e-mail. With all due respect, however, your memory
doesn’t serve you correctly, and I would ask you to please review your
notes again. The environmental consultant from Golder referred
extensively to a seven month environmental analysis performed by the
EPD in our state. I’m confused why a seven month study performed by the
impartial environmental and regulatory group empowered to provide
governance and decisions related to this project isn’t a sufficient
enough environmental study for you. During the forum, Golder and
Associates, a world renown environmental engineering firm, also went on
to provide results of their extensive air modeling study. The fuel
supply expert presented the results of a detailed study his firm had
just completed that showed 13 times the required regional wood waste
fuel needed for this plant. This was his firm’s 20th study across the
country, and they are considered experts. The Ph.D economist cited an
extensive study his firm had just completed successfully defending a
similar biomass facility before the Wisconsin Public Service
Commission. The Toxicologist has over 27 years of experience and is a
leading expert at a major U.S. University. If you would read his CV,

Continue reading →

“Your determination to sell our community your biomass project” –Dr. Noll to Brad Lofton

First of a series. -jsq

From: “Michael G. Noll”

To: Brad Lofton <blofton@industrialauthority.com>, “John S. Quarterman,
Allan Ricketts, <aricketts@industrialauthority.com>

CC: “Susan R. Wehling”, “Mary B. Gooding”, Roy Copeland, Kay Harris

Subject: RE: Wiregrass Power, LLC

Date: Fri, 24 Dec 2010 13:46:25 +0000

Hello Mr. Lofton.

I can certainly admire your determination to sell our community your
biomass project as “green” or “safe”. However, as WACE already pointed
out, there is a difference between fiction and fact (see my guest
column in the VDT on December 12, 2010).

In the last couple months, WACE has provided the Industrial Authority
and the community with a plethora of scientific literature and
statements made by medical organizations that unequivocally state that
biomass is neither “green” nor “safe”. At the same time, neither you
nor Mr. Ricketts have been able to provide up-to-date scientific proof
to us to challenge the position that biomass is, in fact, dirtier than
coal and bears significant health risks.

Anyone who cares enough for the community he or she lives in, must
understand the responsibility to provide such proof. I have
difficulties to imagine that you or Mr. Ricketts do not share such a
sentiment, despite the disagreements we might have.
Let’s cut to the chase in regard to your panel of experts:

Continue reading →

VLCIA Board Meeting videos, 21 Dec 2010



Here are videos of the regular public board meeting of the
Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority (VLCIA), 21 Dec 2010.
I videoed almost everything, except when I was speaking or they were
answering.
More posts later on some of the astonishing
points arising from this meeting.

Update 1 Jan 2010: more videos posted, with some comment. Still a few more to come.

Update 2 Jan 2010: All the videos are there now, and there’s a blog post with Dr. Teaf’s slides, along with video of Brad Lofton saying “no way shape or form”.

I’m sure that every VLCIA board member has the best interests
of the community at heart.
Several of them invited me to contact them with any concerns. I will take them up on that invitation, and you can, too.

Continue reading →