If the air in Lowndes County is clean, why is Valdosta high
in cancers of the lung, trachea, bronchus, and pleura,
and not especially high in other cancers?
Data and graph from the National Cancer Institute.
-jsq
Some people seem to be forming opinions of that letter without ever having read it. LAKE has published links to a PDF of it from four previous posts: “Far from Over”, “What is Fiery Roots”, Russell Anderson Responds, and “We got off on the wrong foot”. Formerly LAKE only had a PDF of a scan of a paper copy of the email of 3 Jan 2011. Per request, Russell Anderson has sent plain text, which appears below. -jsq
Continue readingAll,
My name is Russell Anderson. I am the Co-Director of Collectiveprogression.org and graduate of Valdosta State. I am writing to inform you of my intent to publish the below piece on our website and to our readership as well as produce a full length documentary about the community struggle against the proposed Wiregrass LLC biomass incinerator. I have you all on this email {Sterling Assets, Langdale’s, Council, Commissioners, Authority, Attorneys} and ALL of you have continued to pass the blame and buck on the building of this plant. Rather than doing the more responsible thing (pending EIS),
Continue readingThe recent biomass meeting was a great example of democracy in action. Concerned citizens gave up an evening to educate themselves and it was heartening to see many in the audience participate. I’m no political scientist, but this must be what the founders of the constitution had in mind in conceiving that document.
The evening was not without controversy. Several speakers spoke passionately, even vehemently, prompting someone to question the tone of some on the anti-biomass side. One wonders how closely he follows events in the area?
Valdostans are frustrated at the blatantly anti-democratic tactics employed by local government that result in our getting things rammed down our throats. Biomass is just the latest example.
Continue readingFrom: Russ Anderson
Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2011 10:18:02 -0500
Subject: Russell Anderson responses to article about Fiery Roots and Commissioner Paulk AccusationsDear L.A.K.E.,
My name is Russell Anderson. Thank you for taking an interest in the Wiregrass LLC Biomass incinerator issue and my affiliated organization Collectiveprogression.org. I am writing today with hopes of clarifying a few things.
First, I’m glad to see there is such an effort as L.A.K.E. in the Lowndes area. L.A.K.E appears to use strategies that could be modeled by other communities seeking a more informed population. Information sharing is critical to achieving a more just and equitable world. The objective of our organization is simply to share the narratives of community struggles, solutions, and efforts in hopes of creating better channels of communication and resource sharing between communities dealing with justice issues. Any similarities to LAKE’s efforts to “Cover the planners to connect the dots” are nothing more than pleasant coincidence.
Hopefully, as our website develops from its infancy, our mission will become more apparent in the content. We have interviewed people across the country to uncover ways that people working for justice can be more connected and,
From: “John S. Quarterman”Continue reading
To: Brad Lofton
Cc: [see below]
Responding to Brad Lofton’s message, actually Dalton, Georgia already has a 365kW solar array installed and in use. That’s larger than the 350 kW array VLCIA has “about to break ground”, and Dalton got theirs without having to take a biomass plant with it.
As for wood-sourced biomass, Rayonier Jesup Mill produces around 78 MW, which is more than the 40MW biomass plant VLCIA is thinking about starting. Jesup also got high air and water pollution and high crime.
Meanwhile, Dublin is already hiring for 350 jobs for the MAGE SOLAR manufacturing plant, while VLCIA’s biomass plant would only bring 25 jobs.
Once again you ignore suggestions for clean energy projects and reiterate the biomass plant and its bag-on-the-side solar plant as the whole of VLCIA’s plan.
Fortunately, I have confidence that such experienced developers as the VLCIA board can do better than that.
Continue readingFrom: “Matt Flumerfelt”
Date: Sun, 16 Jan 2011 21:58:56 -0500My Dear Mayor, City Manager, and City Council Members,
You who I know to be men and women of principle, you should know by now I have no axe to grind, no agenda except to see justice done, no desire but to benefit the people of this fair community. I ask you to please put the brakes on the Industrial Authority and convince them that the Wiregrass Power Biomass Electric Generating Plant may be complying with the current laws and clean air requirements of Georgia, but it is still not safe. Opening this plant is not in the best interest of our community.
We are at an important crossroads in our nation’s history,
Continue readingFrom: “John S. Quarterman”
To: Brad Lofton
Cc: [see below]Since I know of no public email address for the VLCIA board, I’m asking Brad Lofton to distribute this to the board before their meeting tomorrow.
Dear Board,
This is an update to my previous question to you, which was published in the Valdosta Daily Times, 20 Dec 2010, available online here:
http://lake.typepad.com/on-the-lake-front/2010/12/whats-the-industrial-authoritys-plan.html
I’m sending this letter directly to you, and also publishing it online,
http://lake.typepad.com/on-the-lake-front/2010/12/what-is-your-plan.html
What is the Industrial Authority’s plan to bring in real clean jobs?
Your staff have claimed that Wiregrass Power LLC’s tiny solar plant plus their biomass plant will make us a “center of innovation excellence for renewable and sustainable energy in Georgia.” Is that all?
If so, let me make a few suggestions.
Roy Copeland |
Tom Call |
Mary Gooding |
Norman Bennett |
Jerry Jennett, Chairman |
He’s on the board of Homeland Defense Corp., which does “Custom Automated Mosquito and Insect Misting Systems” and says this:
Thomas B. Call graduated from the University of Georgia with a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture. After a career in the agricultural chemicals industry, Tom branched out into real estate. Today, he is the owner of Coldwell Banker Premier Real Estate, and owns a number of successful businesses specializing in residential and commercial real estate development. www.Valdostarealtors.com(Also on that board are Continue reading
On 28 Dec 2010
Brad Lofton wrote:
No one but WACE has made any claims about our efforts to substantiate this project.Who are all these people, then, asking questions at the VLCIA’s 6 Dec 2010 event?
For example, this one, following up about the Environmental Impact Study he requested back at the EPD air quality hearing (see video of that event). He didn’t get an answer then, and at VLCIA’s 6 Dec event he still only got allusions to studies and standards that were not produced.
You can see Brad Lofton in that video, listening. Did he forget so quickly?
What about SAVE’s event at VSU at which Dr. Sammons spoke? What about the well-attended Biomass Town Hall that Pastor Angela Manning organized? And other events.
What about my question at the 6 Dec 2010 VLCIA board meeting? Continue reading
In these two videos, Col. Ricketts responds to materials sent to VLCIA
by WACE.
He dismisses certain material as being
from Massachusetts
or being from
“folks come into the community.”
That’s rather rich, since as near as I can tell,
all of VLCIA’s “expert” panelists at their
6 Dec 2010 event
were from not from around here.
Some were from states a thousand miles from here.
Maybe somebody can transcribe
Brad Lofton’s enumeration of those “experts” from the board meeting,
since as near as I can tell VLCIA has provided no written list of them.
And of course Sterling Planet is located in Atlanta, not Lowndes County.
In the first video, Col. Ricketts says he’s responding to WACE materials: Continue reading