Category Archives: VLCIA 2011-03-15

Environmental Justice –Leigh Touchton @ VLCIA 15 March 2011

Chairman Jerry Jennett asked for Citizens Wishing to be Heard, and first up was Leigh Touchton, President of Valdosta-Lowndes NAACP, who presented them a letter from Dr. Robert D. Bullard, about his findings that 80% of the residents within one mile of the proposed Wiregrass Power Plant are black and 75% of biomass facilities in Georgia are sited in minority/poor communities.
“This is what is called environmental racism.”
She also said she was tired of people who are against biomass being represented as a fanatical fringe crew, primarily by Mr. Lofton, considering she stood before them representing the local NAACP, the Georgia state conference of the NAACP, “the largest organization non-profit of voters in the state of Georgia”, and the national NAACP.


Leigh Touchton, President, Valdosta-Lowndes NAACP
regular monthly meeting, Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority (VLCIA)
Norman Bennett, Roy Copeland, Tom Call, Mary Gooding, Jerry Jennett chairman,
J. Stephen Gupton attorney, Brad Lofton Executive Director, Allan Ricketts Program Manager,
15 March 2011.
Videos by John S. Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.

Perhaps I missd it because I was a few minutes late, but this was the only mention of the Wiregrass Power LLC biomass plant that I heard at this VLCIA board meeting.

-jsq

Protesters at VLCIA, 15 March 2011

The first thing I saw when I drove up to the Industrial Authority building: protesters outside. They don’t seem to like some biomass plant.


Protesters, Wiregrass Activists for Clean Energy (WACE) at the
regular monthly meeting, Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority (VLCIA)
Norman Bennett, Roy Copeland, Tom Call, Mary Gooding, Jerry Jennett chairman,
J. Stephen Gupton attorney, Brad Lofton Executive Director, Allan Ricketts Program Manager,
15 March 2011.
Videos by John S. Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.

Let’s ask these two what this is about. Dr. Michael Noll, President of Wiregrass Activists for Clean Energy (WACE) said:

“We’re here to protest against biomass. We wish Brad Lofton well in his new job, but we want biomass to go as well.”


Karen and Michael Noll, Wiregrass Activists for Clean Energy (WACE) at the
regular monthly meeting, Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority (VLCIA)
Norman Bennett, Roy Copeland, Tom Call, Mary Gooding, Jerry Jennett chairman,
J. Stephen Gupton attorney, Brad Lofton Executive Director, Allan Ricketts Program Manager,
15 March 2011.
Videos by John S. Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.

I asked Leigh Touchton, President of Valdosta-Lowndes NAACP about a letter she forwarded to LAKE, and she said: Continue reading

Wiregrass Solar Plant Completed

Last Saturday I heard Hannah Solar had completed the Wiregrass Solar plant installation in Valdosta. Today Col. Ricketts confirmed that. Congratulations, Industrial Authority, Wiregrass Solar LLC, and Hannah Solar!

The first slide shows the location of the solar plant, which is in the back of Valdosta’s Mud Creek Water Treatment Plant on Water Plant Road off of GA 94 (New Statenville Highway).

Where there used to be just a bare field, it’s now covered with solar panels.

The current holdup is waiting for Georgia Power to connect the panels to the grid. After that, they just need to schedule a commissioning ceremony. Col. Ricketts said they’d discuss that “later”.

Here’s the video:


Regular monthly meeting, Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority, VLCIA,
Norman Bennett, Roy Copeland, Tom Call, Mary Gooding, Jerry Jennett chairman,
J. Stephen Gupton attorney, Brad Lofton Executive Director,
Allan Ricketts Program Manager, 15 March 2011.
Video by John S. Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.

-jsq

“we would appreciate it if our position was no longer misrepresented” –Georgia Sierra Club

Here is a letter that Leigh Touchton forwarded, noting, “Ms. Colleen Kiernan gave me her permission to share it publicly.” -jsq
March 9, 2011

Brad Lofton
Executive Director
Valdosta Lowndes County Industrial Authority
2110 North Patterson Street
Valdosta, GA 31602

RE: Sierra Club position on the Wiregrass Energy facility

Dear Mr. Lofton:

Congratulations on the groundbreaking of your solar facility last month. The Georgia Chapter of the Sierra Club is very pleased and excited to see those types of clean, renewable projects coming online all across our state, after years of Georgia Power claiming that solar wouldn’t work in our state.

However, I am writing to you primarily on a different subject as it has come to our attention that you continue to claim
Continue reading

Industrial Authority board meets tonight

The Board of Directors of the Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority (VLCIA) meets tonight, 5:30 PM 15 March 2011 in the Industrial Authority Conference Room, 2110 N. Patterson Street, Valdosta, Georgia. I hear they’re having a personnel change.

Maybe with new staff they can finally get agendas and minutes on their website, and maybe a picture of Tom Call. The picture of Call below was found elsewhere by LAKE.

-jsq

Roy Copeland
Roy Copeland
Tom Call
Tom Call
Mary B. Gooding
Mary Gooding
Norman Bennett
Norman Bennett
Jerry Jennett
Jerry Jennett,
Chairman