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Are you considering a one-way T.R.I.P. to Biomass Land? Are you sure you want to live there? . . . Because there is no going back . . . T is for Trucking: It's Not Right for the Site. In November, Russell Biomass told the Planning Board of the Town of Russell that they need even more trucks than they had originally stated. According to the new figures, the Biomass plant in Russell would bring a tractor-trailer truck rumbling down Historic Main Street or other residential roads 840 times a week. That is one truck every four minutes during the allowed trucking hours. These massive vehicles can be 75 feet long and have a gross vehicle weight of 102,000 pounds fully loaded. They chew up roads and bridges and will result in millions of dollars in road repair, very likely at the expense of Russell taxpayers. Historic Main Street Russell was not built to withstand this volume of heavy industrial trucking. The trucks also bring a very serious pollution problem. U.S. studies have concluded that diesel particulate matter is responsible for 70-89% of cancers caused by airborne particulate matter. To read more about deadly diesel fumes click here. And what about children's safety, traffic congestion, and the intersection at Route 20? Is this plant really going to work smoothly on this site? So much noise, disruption, pollution, congestion, damage, and danger on a narrow residential road? Why? Is this good planning? Is it a balanced, well-thought-out, appropriate use of the site? Certainly not. The trucking impacts to the neighborhood are just too burdensome. Russell Biomass is just not right for the site. R is for River Impacts: It's Not Right for the Site Much of the official concern about the project has centered on the Westfield River. The Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, Trout Unlimited, The New England Shad Association, The Sierra Club, The Audubon Society, The Nature Conservancy, and many other environmental groups and sportsmen's groups wrote to MEPA registering their serious concerns about impacts to the Westfield River. You can easily walk across the Westfield River in midsummer in a number of places; many believe that the river simply cannot remain as healthy and clean as it is if Russell Biomass withdraws 800,000-plus gallons of water daily, with about 100,000 gallons returned to the river warm and polluted. New England Shad Association President Jack Coughlin has pointed out that Russell Biomass' impacts on the Westfield River may directly conflict with an existing, thriving fishing and sporting industry. He reminded us at the MEPA hearing that millions of dollars are spent on the river every year. Furthermore, he pointed out that Atlantic Salmon are spawning in the Westfield River, and that any river that can establish a successful salmon run is going to attract a lot of investment and will bring sportsmen from all over the world to fish and spend their money here. So what do you think is better? A biomass facility draining and polluting the river, or a nice clean river with a world-famous Atlantic salmon run? We prefer our nice clean river, and we place great value on every drop of water. Russell Biomass is just not right for the site. I is for Inversions: It's Not Right for the Site Everyone who lives here knows that the village of Russell is in a particularly vulnerable spot for air pollution. We have stagnant weather inversions here which trap and hold polluted air close to the ground rather than moving it out with prevailing winds. Under these conditions, the air pollution from Russell Biomass would just pour out of the stack, flow down to the ground, and fill up our valley as water fills a bowl. Large stationary sources of air pollution should not be built in vulnerable sites such as this. Is this good planning? Is this an appropriate, balanced, well-thought-out use of the site? Certainly not. We were here first and we expect that we will continue to need clean, fresh air. Russell Biomass is just not right for the site. P is for Pollution: It's Not Right For the Site Last March, a Country Journal advertisement introducing Russell Biomass stated, "The biomass plant will have no adverse effect on local air quality." This was very reassuring to read, of course. Many months later, long after they had gotten their Town Special Permit, Russell Biomass submitted their MEPA application and projected the actual emissions numbers. According to the Expanded Environmental Notification Form (EENF) that Russell Biomass submitted to the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) in September, the plant would release 1600 TONS of air pollutants daily, including DAILY emissions of:
One of the very serious problems with burning large amounts of wood is the nitrous oxide or NOx emissions. Last year the American Lung Association report, "State of the Air 2005" established a very troubling profile of NOx because of its role as an ingredient of ozone: "The recipe for ozone is simple," reads the ALA report, "NOx + VOCs + Heat +Sunlight = Ozone. In two large studies this year, we learned new information about ozone that confirmed for the first time the deadly effects of this old public health nemesis. Short-term exposure to ozone can kill. Researchers…estimated that over 3,700 deaths annually could be attributed to a 10 parts per billion increase in ozone levels." More on ozone toxicity here. Russell Biomass has indeed projected that their NOx emissions will exceed the Federal EPA limit for New Source Review in an Ozone Non-Attainment Area, and have stated that they "will purchase NOx emissions offsets." (Russell Biomass LLC MEPA Expanded Environmental Notification Form, p.12) The ALA's list of the health effects of ozone include "shortness of breath, chest pain when inhaling deeply, wheezing and coughing and increased susceptibility to respiratory infections, risk of premature mortality, pulmonary inflammation, risk of asthma attacks and the need for medical treatment and for hospitalization of persons with asthma." A number of Russell residents living near the proposed biomass site have serious respiratory illnesses and are uncertain if they could survive the emissions. There is also a day care center very near the plant. Will these residents experience a hazardous or even a deadly increase in ambient ozone levels as a direct result of Russell Biomass? Children could be seriously affected. Will our vulnerable friends and neighbors be able to continue breathing freely? Is this a good, balanced, well-thought-out use of the site? Trucks! River! Inversion! Pollution! …Still want to take this T.R.I.P? Trucks? No thank you. River impacts? No way. Inversion? Worst possible place. Pollution? Could be deadly. A one-way T.R.I. P. to Biomess Land? NO THANK YOU! LET'S SKIP THIS T.R.I.P! |
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This site last updated on October 6, 2006 |
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