Karen Noll of WACE, Wiregrass Activists for Clean Energy,
asked the Valdosta City Council not to sell wastewater
to the proposed Wiregrass Power LLC biomass plant.
She presented
“500+ signatures from community members and organizations”
asking for that.
She also said
“…furthermore a response to our request each
member of the council is expected before the next council meeting.”
WACE, Wiregrass Activists for Clean Energy, at
Regular meeting of the Valdosta City Council, 24 March 2011,
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia.
Videos by Gretchen Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.
It’s Sunday, so let’s see what a local preacher thinks about the
biomass plant.
Mayor Fretti asked if there were any Citizens Wishing to be Heard,
and a preacher said, “yes”.
No, not Rev. Rose.
He last spoke to the Valdosta City Council back on 10 February,
and left in disgust.
Besides, the Council
thinks people are frightened of little old him.
This time, 24 March 2011,
Angela Manning, minister of the 1500-member New Life Ministries
in Valdosta near the proposed site for the Wiregrass Power LLC biomass plant,
read from the Valdosta City Council’s own mission statement and
asked,
Black and white, young and old, conservative and liberal,
college professors and unemployed:
dozens of them demonstrated against biomass
outside the Valdosta City Council meeting, 24 March 2011:
Dr. Cristóbal Serrán-Pagán y Fuentes reminds us we don’t need a biomass plant
because:
We have plenty of sunshine here.
You’d think the Valdosta City Council would know that, since
only about a month ago
Mayor Fretti assisted groundbreaking for Wiregrass Solar LLC.
Maybe it takes somebody from Spain to remind everyone.
Spain, which is a leader in solar power in the world.
Spain, which is actually north of Georgia.
Protesters outside the
Regular meeting of the Valdosta City Council, 24 March 2011,
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia.
Videos by Gretchen Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.
Dr. George gets to the point!
After talking to several Valdosta City Council members, he has
observed that people make up their minds regardless of evidence.
So he wants to know:
What evidence would you need to see to conclude this is a bad idea?
Dr. George also gets at something even deeper that Council might
consider a wakeup call:
The public outcry about this across the political spectrum, from conservative to liberal.
People against the biomass plant are not just black or white
or young or old or conservative or liberal or college professors
or unemployed: they are all of those things.
The intransigence of elected and appointed officials is causing
citizens to stand up and be heard on this and other issues around
the county.
This issue is serving as a catalyst for people to demand
more transparent and responsive government.
Regular meeting of the Valdosta City Council, 24 March 2011,
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia.
Videos by Gretchen Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.
Regular monthly meeting, Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority, VLCIA,
Norman Bennett, Roy Copeland, Tom Call, Mary Gooding, Jerry Jennett chairman,
J. Stephen Gupton attorney, Brad Lofton Executive Director, Allan Ricketts Program Manager,
15 March 2011
Videos by John S. Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.
“…we hope will be under construction in the next 18 months.
It will be about $150 million dollar project;
anywhere from 4 to 600 new jobs.
A lot of communities in Georgia are built around state prisons.
A hundred of those 400 will be post-secondary, nutritionalists,
physicians, nurses, vocational rehab, so we’re proud of that project.
You’ll start to hear a little bit more about that.
There will be about 300 construction jobs over about a 24 month period,
which will have a major impact on the community.”
Brad Lofton, Executive Director,
Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority (VLCIA),
speaking at the
Lake Park Chamber of Commerce annual dinner,
Lake Park, Lowndes County, Georgia, 28 January 2011.
Videos by Gretchen Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.
As of 21 December 2010,
apparently things were still pretty tentative
when Brad Lofton gave an update to the VLCIA board,
claiming the CCA private prison would bring 600 jobs to Lowndes County, Georgia:
Regular monthly meeting, Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority, VLCIA,
Norman Bennett, Roy Copeland, Gary Minchew, Mary Gooding, Jerry Jennett chairman,
J. Stephen Gupton attorney, Brad Lofton Executive Director, Allan Ricketts Program Manager,
21 December 2010
Videos by John S. Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.
“I think we can do better than a generator that burns human waste. I
think we can do better than a private prison and those are two things
that we seem to be excited about as a community.”
Next, we’ll see if objections had any effect on the Industrial Authority.
Karen Noll of WACE, Wiregrass Activists for Clean Energy,
asked the Valdosta City Council not to sell wastewater
to the proposed Wiregrass Power LLC biomass plant.
She presented
