Air Quality

Burning wood to generate electricity emits carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides (contributing to smog), ash, and particulate matter (including “inhalable coarse particles,” with diameters larger than 2.5 micrometers and smaller than 10 micrometers, known as PM10, and “fine particles,” with diameters that are 2.5 micrometers and smaller, known as PM2.5), and volatile organic compounds. All of these pollutants are dangerous to human health, particularly to vulnerable populations such as children (especially infants and those who are physically active outdoors), the elderly, and people with existing health conditions including asthma, lung disease, and heart disease.

There is no safe limit for particulate matter – it contributes to asthma, heart attacks, respiratory ailments, cancer.

See link to pollutants released by the Burlington McNeil Biomass facility. Have it be known that the Burlington McNeil biomass facility is the biggest polluter in the State of VT.

The developers assert that this plant will meet all relevant air quality regulations, but air quality regulations are not static—they change over time as the science becomes clearer about the level at which a particular pollutant is harmful, and science is just now recognizing the extent to which even lower concentrations of fine particles than previously recognized can be harmful. This uncertainty about the optimal allowable level of fine particles is reflected in the 2006 revision of the fine particulates standard to make it more stringent. As the Environmental Protection Agency is required by the Clean Air Act to review the standards every five years, the PM2.5 standard is currently undergoing review.

Interestingly, new EPA air pollution rules are slated to go into effect in July 2011. Despite being more lenient for biomass than coal, the biomass industry says they cannot meet the new regulations, so they are trying to get going before then in the hopes of being “grandfathered” in.

According to the developers at their September 25th presentation, the state’s Department of Environmental Conservation said that five years of Rutland-area meteorological data would be adequate to model the air conditions at the proposed site. This is unacceptable. Beaver Wood energy should be required to PROVE low emissions for our particular location, a valley with substantial elevations of 2400 feet immediately on both sides of the site creating a narrow corridor, subject to inversions that trap air and contribute to pollution. Relying on data from other sites that do not share the unique characteristics of our Valley and tweaking it to apply to us is not sufficient. Since it is a key concern for the health and well-being of our citizens, the town should insist that accurate measurements of our Valley be used in the air quality model.

According to the February 2009 Air Pollution Control permit for the McNeil station, compliance with the particulate matter emission standards specified in the permit is determined by biennial emissions testing conducted by the operator of the plant (http://www.anr.state.vt.us/air/Permitting/PermitsTAs/PermitBED.pdf, p. 19). While this may be an acceptable frequency at that plant given the existence of two air pollution monitoring sites in Burligton, it is not acceptable for Pownal, where there is no air pollution monitoring site. (The nearest air pollution monitoring site is north of the airport in Bennington.) With two years between reports on particulate matter pollution, significant damage could be done to the health of vulnerable children and elderly individuals in our community. Furthermore, reliance on a developer with a history of air pollution of violations to act in a trustworthy fashion and in the public interest is foolish.

The company’s developers have had hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines levied against them for air emissions violations in the years 1996–2006 (reference data from the Freedom of Access Act Request for Information on Thomas Emero and William Bousquet (the developers) read at the Williamstown Selectmen’s meeting of November 8, 2010). This irresponsible record must be taken into account.

DUST

Air pollution in the form of dust pollution is also a reality with biomass incineration facilities. Dust emissions come from large piles of wood chips and ash and the transportation of them. Residents living near the Hopkinton biomass plant complained of a constant “haze” hanging over the area when the plant was in operation.