Some aspects of this proposed plant that need to be examined closely are the following:

  Plant Size Bennington is very much a small town. Given the plant's probable size and its location essentially within the town, the plant will dominate, even overwhelm the present appearance of Bennington.

  Location The proposed site lies within or adjacent to the floodplain/alluvial fan of the Roaring Branch of the Walloomsac River. How will the chances of flooding affect plant operational safety?

  Water VEPH notes that there will be sufficient water available from the Bennington sewage treatment plant to meet plant cooling purposes, about 1.5 million gallons a day. However, as the treatment plant is located some miles from the proposed electric plant, moving the water to the plant will require constructing a pipeline.

  Emissions Although stack and cooling tower emissions from this plant are likely to be modest, the plant is located at the far southeastern end of an enclosed valley opening to the northwest. How will these emissions behave under prevailing climate conditions? Under stagnant air conditions? In particular, what effect will the mountain wall directly east of the plant have on the dispersal of plant emissions?

  Noise The level of operational noise will be a critical issue with respect to this plant, given that it will be located within a 1000 feet to residential neighborhoods to the east and south, within a 1000 feet of the Mount Anthony Union High School (A) to the southwest, and within 2000 feet of the Bennington Veterans Home (V).