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Biomass opponents reject construction waste study

Date: 7/6/2010

July 5, 2010.

By Chris Maza

Reminder Assistant Editor

SPRINGFIELD -- Massachusetts residents may be waiting a while to find out what the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) thinks about the hazards of biomass fuel made from construction materials.

At a June 28 meeting at Springfield's John F. Kennedy Middle School, the DEP outlined a study to be performed by an independent contractor to investigate the environmental and health effects of burning fuel consisting of construction and demolition (C and D) waste wood.

The study, which would take the better part of six months to complete, was not met with a warm reception.

"You don't need studies upon studies to use common sense to know it's not good to put pollutants in the air, which get into water and the soil," West Springfield resident Bonnie Tessmann said.

At present, a reversal in the state's position on the proposed biomass plant, located at 1000 Page Blvd., has put Palmer Renewable Energy's permit to burn C and D materials on hold until officials can determine whether or not the material poses significantly more negative environmental and health effects than clean wood burning plants.

The purpose of the meeting was to inform the public and receive feedback regarding the DEP's proposed study.

Should the study find C and D biomasses are more hazardous, the burning of C and D fuels would not be permitted anywhere in the state.

For some, the meeting was perceived as a positive step in keeping the community informed and in giving residents an opportunity to voice their opinions.

"I can't speak for the recipients of the information [the DEP and Department of Public Health], but I think the people who spoke were clear and had a lot of good concepts," Dr. Jeff Scavron, M.D. of the Springfield Public Health Council, said. "I also think the DEP plan was laid out clearly what they're doing, what their plan is, what their scope of work is."

Still others believed that biomass energy in Western Massachusetts is still an inevitable reality.

"I think the main thing [people] need to take from the meeting is that government and government officials will say what they need to say to get their projects funded and proceed to the completion," Tessman said. "Based on my own personal experience in the past, you can show them as many studies as you'd like to show them and you can talk until you're blue in the face, but ultimately if they've decided they're going to do this, then they're going to do it."

Deputy Director of the DEP's Business Compliance Division James Doucett presented the proposed study, which is expected to take 26 weeks, as broken into three tasks.

The first is to identify types of C and D materials and determine what is in or on the material, characterize the toxins and identify the methods of processing and burning of these materials.

Once the data is gathered, a review on potential air pollutants will be conducted and the results compared with the current air standards.

Next, the consultant will perform a general risk assessment by creating models of two hypothetical "state of the art" facilities at each of three sites to measure the exposure to toxic materials through inhalation.

If the data states the models are within health guidelines for inhalation exposure, the study would move on to review the health risks of exposure by ingestion, focusing primarily on mercury, lead and arsenic.

After these are completed, there will be two public meetings where the consultant will present the results and the public will have the opportunity to comment.

At that time, the DEP will make a determination on whether or not it will accept applications for use of C and D materials as a fuel source.

If C and D materials are deemed acceptable, the consultant will set up guidelines and protocols to identify any supplemental data those applying for C and D permits need to provide.

In addition to the DEP's study, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health will perform complimentary assessments to determine the health effects of burning C and D materials on those with health conditions including asthma and other cardiovascular ailments.

Scavron lauded these efforts.

"I think the health impact study is vital. I think it's really important because we have very insufficient data to understand some of the terrible health disparities the people of Springfield suffer," Scavron said. "The Department of Public Health, if they get this grant to do this impact study, can help point out to us a lot of information that will allow us to work towards solving some of those disparities. I think that's the important role of this study."

Many were skeptical of the DEP's proposed study, stating there is no way the consultant hired can adequately measure the toxicity levels of C and D material.

"I think if they go and actually do sorting studies and new fuel characterization studies, they can fill some of the gaps, but they're never going to be able to adequately characterize a fuel stream that, by its very nature, is changing all the time," Mary S. Booth, Ph.D., co-founder and senior scientist of the Massachusetts Environmental Energy Alliance (MEEA), said. "Having the consultant spend time trying to figure out how to create a good fuel stream is a waste of money, in my opinion, and a waste of time. It's just not going to be possible to do what they want to do." Booth, a Pelham resident, also questioned the DEP's ability to police the fuel supply should C and D eventually be allowed for use in Massachusetts.

"DEP is chronically understaffed," Booth said. "They cannot oversee this and the ongoing need to constantly monitor the fuel. Literally a single plant burns over a ton a minute, so we're talking huge amounts of stuff."