Posted by Ed on July 15, 2007, 2:38 pm Both proponents and opponents are ready for a fight before the state's Energy Facilities Siting Board. "I was thrilled that the board is giving that many of us the right to speak," said Ed Camplese, founder of Billerica Watchers, of which several members have "intervener" status. "Our whole strategy is to be loaded with the truth." Joseph Fitzpatrick, CEO of DG Clean Power, a partner in the project, said he is surprised by the number of area residents who now have standing in the case, which may delay the project's construction schedule. The developer is hoping to break ground in the first quarter of 2008. "The siting board took a pretty wide interpretation of those impacted by the project and we took another view," Fitzpatrick said. "It would be dishonest of me to say that we are not nervous about the number of interveners impacting the timing, but it is up to the siting board to manage the process in a timely way," Fitzpatrick added. "We have a great project with no opposition from organized watershed associations or environmental groups like the Constitutional Law Foundation, and are really serious about being up and running in the summer of 2009. We are prepared to present a very strenuous case." The $200 million, 348-megawatt plant is proposed for 13.8 acres off of Billerica Avenue, and would run primarily on natural gas. It also could burn ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel during extreme cold snaps when natural gas is unavailable. The plant is designed to run about up to 2,300 hours per year during peak demand. Fitzpatrick said power demand in the region hit a new peak last August, two years ahead of projections. Selma Urman, presiding officer of the siting board, granted group intervener status to 22 people under the umbrella of Billerica Watchers, an organization of residents from Billerica, Tewksbury and Pepperell. An intervener is defined as "any person showing he may be substantially and specifically affected by the proceedings to intervene as a party in the whole or any portion of the proceeding." Montgomery's attorney argued that the group has no organized legal status and have not demonstrated that they are "substantially and specifically" affected. Urman wrote that "based on the potential environmental impacts of the proposed facility, I find BWG has established the required nexus to the organization's purpose of discussing issues related to the proposed town development, town infrastructure and town budgets." Other approved intervenors are: Billerica resident Ernest Linek, and six other Billerica and two Tewksbury residents. Urman granted limited participant status to one Billerica resident, and 13 interested parties who were denied intervener status, were granted that status as a group. Intervenors may submit evidence, question the developer both in writing and at hearings, file briefs, speak at the siting board meeting, and appeal the board's final decision. Limited participants usually are limited to filing a brief and speaking at the board meeting. A handful of leaders in the 100-member group have put in hundreds of hours of research. They have employed a lawyer who has worked 120 hours at a discounted rate. They are taking time off of work to participate in the hearings. Camplese said his group's purpose is not to blindly oppose the plant, but to gather as much information as they can and ask tough questions to protect the people of the Merrimack Valley from what they see as unnecessary pollution, health and safety risks. With no power plants built in the Merrimack Valley since the early 1990s, Fitzpatrick said the area needs the plant's "peaking" technology, which would allow it to go to full power very quickly when demand surges. Billerica Watch member Don Gadbois, an engineer who has worked in the power industry for more than 35 years and lives a stone's throw from the site, disagrees. "Peaker is buzz word that is used to scare people, it doesn't mean much," Gadbois said. "Power outages scare people, but ultimately they are a good thing." Gadbois said that when a transformer blows, it is replaced and will be in good condition for another 40 years. The problem does not lie with demand, he says, but with aging infrastructure that has not been well-maintained. That means 30 percent of all electricity generated is lost as it travels from the power plant to its destination, he said. He added that people need to be educated about energy conservation, shut off a light bulb, turn up the temperature of their air conditioners by 2 degrees. "If we needed (the plant), I'd be the first person to say we needed it, but we don't," Gadbois said. "The New England power grid is spending close to $12 billion on transmission improvements," Fitzpatrick countered. "And the same people who are making that investment all agree that we still need 3,000 to 4,000 additional megawatts of generation. Increased efficiency is great, but we still need the plants." The siting board will hold a procedural conference on Tuesday in Boston to discuss a proposed hearing schedule. The hearings, held at the state Department of Public Utilities office, One South Station, 2nd Floor, South Boston, will be broken up by subject, such as environmental impact, safety and noise throughout the summer. The board generally makes its final decision within three months of finishing hearings.
24.34.144.49
Although this board contains many posts from myself I would like to clarify that I post only some of the information contained on the Billerica Watchers Group site for the convience of those who have a hard time or Issues with joining the Group Site.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BillericaWatchers/
Enjoy the reading,
Ed
Battle lines form over N. Billerica power-plant plan
By Jennifer Amy Myers, jmyers@lowellsun.com
Lowell Sun
Article Last Updated:07/15/2007 06:50:43 AM EDT
BILLERICA -- More than 30 people will have a voice in this summer's hearings regarding the North Billerica power plant proposed by Montgomery Energy Billerica Power Partners.
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