Category Archives: Science

“It is your responsibility to prove us wrong” –Dr. Noll to Mr. Lofton

Dr. Noll responds to Mr. Lofton’s email of 24 Dec 2010. -jsq
From: “Michael G. Noll”
To: “blofton@industrialauthority.com” <blofton@industrialauthority.com>, “Mary B. Gooding”, “Ricketts, Allan” <aricketts@industrialauthority.com>, “Copeland, Roy”, “‘John S. Quarterman'”, “Susan R. Wehling”, Kay Harris
Subject: RE: Wiregrass Power, LLC
Date: Fri, 24 Dec 2010 21:19:15 +0000

Hello Mr. Lofton.

You might remember that WACE handed out a “Myth vs. Fact” info sheet at the meeting. On it were clearly outlined major issues we have with your biomass project. I will only entertain the first three to refresh your memory, since they are the most important facts for our community:

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“Your memory doesn’t serve you correctly” –Lofton to Noll

When can we see these actual studies? And if we could see those VLCIA videos, nobody would have to depend on memory. -jsq
From: Brad Lofton <blofton@industrialauthority.com>
To: Michael Noll, “Mary B. Gooding”, Allan Ricketts <aricketts@industrialauthority.com>, Roy Copeland, “John S. Quarterman, “Susan R. Wehling”, Kay Harris
Date: Fri, 24 Dec 2010 10:51:53 -0500
Subject: Re: Wiregrass Power, LLC

Good morning Dr. Noll-

Thanks for your e-mail. With all due respect, however, your memory doesn’t serve you correctly, and I would ask you to please review your notes again. The environmental consultant from Golder referred extensively to a seven month environmental analysis performed by the EPD in our state. I’m confused why a seven month study performed by the impartial environmental and regulatory group empowered to provide governance and decisions related to this project isn’t a sufficient enough environmental study for you. During the forum, Golder and Associates, a world renown environmental engineering firm, also went on to provide results of their extensive air modeling study. The fuel supply expert presented the results of a detailed study his firm had just completed that showed 13 times the required regional wood waste fuel needed for this plant. This was his firm’s 20th study across the country, and they are considered experts. The Ph.D economist cited an extensive study his firm had just completed successfully defending a similar biomass facility before the Wisconsin Public Service Commission. The Toxicologist has over 27 years of experience and is a leading expert at a major U.S. University. If you would read his CV,

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“Your determination to sell our community your biomass project” –Dr. Noll to Brad Lofton

First of a series. -jsq
From: “Michael G. Noll”
To: Brad Lofton <blofton@industrialauthority.com>, “John S. Quarterman, Allan Ricketts, <aricketts@industrialauthority.com>
CC: “Susan R. Wehling”, “Mary B. Gooding”, Roy Copeland, Kay Harris
Subject: RE: Wiregrass Power, LLC
Date: Fri, 24 Dec 2010 13:46:25 +0000

Hello Mr. Lofton.

I can certainly admire your determination to sell our community your biomass project as “green” or “safe”. However, as WACE already pointed out, there is a difference between fiction and fact (see my guest column in the VDT on December 12, 2010).

In the last couple months, WACE has provided the Industrial Authority and the community with a plethora of scientific literature and statements made by medical organizations that unequivocally state that biomass is neither “green” nor “safe”. At the same time, neither you nor Mr. Ricketts have been able to provide up-to-date scientific proof to us to challenge the position that biomass is, in fact, dirtier than coal and bears significant health risks.

Anyone who cares enough for the community he or she lives in, must understand the responsibility to provide such proof. I have difficulties to imagine that you or Mr. Ricketts do not share such a sentiment, despite the disagreements we might have. Let’s cut to the chase in regard to your panel of experts:

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Brad Lofton: “Please have anyone interested e-mail us directly.”

Brad Lofton answers my response of 23 Dec 2010 Col. Ricketts. Mr. Lofton appears not to have noticed that the press releases are in the same post as Col. Ricketts’ message. I’m still waiting for the videos the Valdosta videographer took to appear on the VLCIA website. Meanwhile, LAKE’s videos of the 6 Dec 2010 Q&A session have been on the web since 19 Dec. -jsq
To: John S. Quarterman, Allan Ricketts <aricketts@industrialauthority.com>,
From: Brad Lofton <blofton@industrialauthority.com>
Cc: John S. Quarterman, Michael Noll, Susan Wehling, Mary B. Gooding, Roy Copeland, Kay Harris
Subject: Re: Wiregrass Power, LLC
Date: Thu, 23 Dec 2010 14:49:56 -0500

John-

We enjoyed having you Tuesday night, and we were especially glad to have you attend on the night we planned to review the expert panel’s testimony regarding the positive environmental, health and economic impacts of our project. We appreciate you agreeing today to provide all of that data (or at least links) on your blog plus the recent flurry of pro-biomass press releases. As you know, December has been very active with EPA and USDA releases promoting biomass plus GA Tech and Duke researchers announcing that renewable energy (including biomass) will save Southeastern U.S. ratepayers $23 billion a year by 2030. That’s great news for residential and industrial consumers alike. The unanimous permission granted for the Gainesville, FL biomass facility was good news, and we were amazed at the large amount of support they received-from the FL State Department of Health, to the guardians of the Suwannee River basin, the U.S. Corps of Engineers, and numerous government and environmental groups in between.

Regarding access to our panel info, we have already e-mailed our panelists’ presentations to members of the public, and we would be more than happy to continue doing that. Please have anyone interested e-mail us directly.

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Seth Gunning LTE in the VDT

This is the text of Seth Gunning’s letter to the editor that the Valdosta Daily Times printed on 20 Dec 2010. Here’s video of the referenced air quality permit hearing. -jsq
Recently on Thursday December 16th, State Judge Ronit Walker denied air quality permits for a proposed coal plant in Sandersville, Georgia. Judge Walker cited the Georgia Environmental Protection Divisions failure to properly review permits, and their lack of enforcement of basic Clean Air Act standards for several hazardous emissions.

Flashback to April 27th in Valdosta Georgia when Environmental Protection Division Air Branch Manager Eric Cornwell openly admitted to having NOT READ the air permit application for Wiregrass Biomass LLC’s proposal to build a hotly contested 40mw power plant&emdash; during a Valdosta EPD hearing meant to evaluate those permits.

Today, the Valdosta Industrial Authority is hazardously entrenched

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VLCIA biomass event Q&A

Here are videos that illustrate the VDT’s point today in What We Think:
While officials continue to downplay local citizen anger about current projects, citizens are organizing in a variety of ways to affect change the next election cycle. When Sterling Chemical came to Lowndes County in the 1990s, citizens were told the project was a “done deal,” and so it was. Sterling is still here, but those in office at the time aren’t, and the director of the Industrial Authority at the time is no longer here either.

As has been shown worldwide, citizens are tired of being told what’s best for them, having no say so in how their tax dollars are spent, and having their concerns ignored.

Until officials understand that it is coming from all directions and not just led by a few malcontents, the swell will continue to grow. And those who continue to ignore the anger and frustration do so at their own peril.

Maybe the VDT is referring to this kind of response from the VLCIA panel on 6 Dec 2010:
“these things do prop up the local economy, period, end of discussion.”
A previous questioner who had a job in Vietnam notes he was lied to about Agent Orange and asks “can you assure me that I won’t be affected by this?” Continue reading →

VLCIA Biomass “Forum” Tonight: Do they have a plan?

According to the VDT’s What We Think of yesterday:
All citizens of Lowndes County and any other interested parties are encouraged to attend the Biomass Forum Monday night, hosted by the Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority, at 7:30 at the Conference Center.
Forum? As in people will get time to get real questions answered? And the VLCIA might be interested in real input?
The authority has invited a half-dozen individuals to speak, which will last approximately 60 to 90 minutes, followed by “ample” time for questions to be answered, at least 30 minutes, according to the Authority.
Hm, 3 to 1 they speak we listen. Interesting definition of “forum”. Also, despite VLCIA’s many complaints that people didn’t get involved early enough in their previous public meetings about this plant, if this event is listed on VLCIA’s own website, I can’t find it. It’s not on the VLCIA’s facebook page, either.

Although on November 10th there are two VLCIA facebook posts saying:

The Industrial Authority stands behind its decision for the construction of Wiregrass Power LLC and feels like this green project will be a win/win for the community.
So much for looking for input.

Anyway, back to the VDT:

The Times has presented several stories with facts concerning the $140 million project, which will generate 20 to 25 local jobs once the plant is up and running.
20 to 25 local jobs.

Meanwhile, in other places that have a plan:

What’s our plan, VLCIA? How about we plant trees instead of burn them?

And I agree with the VDT on this:

And to the Industrial Authority and invited speakers, you are urged to not insult the intelligence of those attending. They understand what the plant will do. What they want to know is how this will affect them in terms of health issues, air quality and safety, burning sewage, the number of trucks on the highway so close to several schools, etc.

The onus is on you, the Authority, to handle this in a much more professional manner than the last Sterling project.

More to the point, why is the VLCIA wasting its political capital (and our tax dollars) on this one polluting plant when it could be working to bring in real clean energy?

Does the VLCIA have a plan to raise the local metro area out of the bottom 10 for wages? Or is this 20-25-job polluting plant the best the VLCIA can do?

If you can’t come to tonight’s “forum”, or even if you can, here is contact information for your elected and appointed officials, including the VLCIA board.

-jsq

Brad Lofton’s Selective Memory

I see by yesterday’s VDT story about the Lowndes County Board of Education (LCBOE) meeting that Brad Lofton, executive directory of the Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority (VLCIA), is reported as saying:
The people … that are opposing the plant … have yet to agree to sit down and talk with the authority directly about the plant.
He said somehing similar at the 29 Sep 2010 meeting of the Valdosta Board of Education (VBOE). Except then he at least admitted that I had gotten the VLCIA presentation. Yet even then he forgot about the other people in this picture of that 10 June 2010 meeting at the VLCIA offices:


Pictured: Natasha Fast, Angela Manning, Allan Ricketts (Project Manager), Geraldine Fairell, Ken Klanicki, Brad Lofton (Executive Director)

Even earlier, Dr. Brad Bergstrom and Seth Gunning got a presentation from the VLCIA.

I pointed all this out a month ago, after the VBOE incident.

Why does Brad Lofton, a public employee, keep standing up before elected bodies and saying something that is not true?

-jsq

Video of Dr. Sammons’ talk at VSU

Here is a video of most of Dr. William Sammons’ presentation at the SAVE Biomass Forum at VSU. His slides from that talk are available on the LAKE web pages, so you can follow along.

Instead of dirty biomass we could have clean efficiency and conservation (retrofitting produces twice as many jobs as biomass) and solar power, which is booming nationwide, burns no trees, and emits no pollutants.

You can also contact your local elected or appointed officials.

-jsq

VDT Elevates Biomass and Renewable Energy as Political Issues

The Valdosta Daily Times (VDT) has apparently decided biomass and real clean energy instead are political issues. As part of the VDT’s sudden turn against the VLCIA and its biomass plant, which was provoked by citizen and student activism, the VDT started a week of articles with the headline “Proposed plant said to be ‘medical atrocity'”, about Dr. William Sammons’ Monday talk about health problems of biomass and how solar is better.

The VDT then featured biomass in its reporting on the AAUW Candidate Forum: Continue reading →