POWER PLANTS, PIPELINES, AND STRIP MINES

by Annette Smith (Executive Director of Vermonters for a Clean Environment, Inc.)

 

Power Plants

On August 23, Glenville Energy Park, LLC (GEP), the New York company of Tom Macaulay and Robert Votaw, held a public hearing as mandated by New York Public Service Commission. GEP is proposing to build a 520 mw power plant in the Scotia-Glenville Industrial Park. Macaulay said, as he did at the August 1 GEP meeting, that his gas project in Vermont has the endorsement of the State and is moving forward.

Two more GEP Public meetings will be held: The first on September 12, 7 p.m., at the Town of Glenville Senior Center at 32 Worden Road, and the second on September 28, 7 p.m., at the Scotia Glenville High School to discuss potential GEP impacts on the schools.

Pipelines

On August 18, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issued a notice announcing details of an Interstate Natural Gas Facility-Planning Seminar. The goal of this outreach program is to make the processing of pipeline project applications at FERC "quicker, cheaper and with better results." FERC is hoping a "toolbox of the best options" will emerge from the meetings to help the Commission approve more quickly the interstate pipeline projects that are found to be in the "public convenience and necessity."

The first meeting is scheduled for September 26 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Albany Marriott Hotel in Albany, NY. At least six public meetings will be held this year. FERC's Office of Energy Projects has invited interstate natural gas companies, federal, state and local agencies, landowners, and other non-governmental organizations interested in "developing a new way of doing business" to attend and give presentations.

Albany was selected as the site for the first meeting because "it's an area that has a good bit of interest in gas pipeline certification," and "there's likely to be future work in that area as well." The locations of the other meetings will be "selected based on the history of past, present and especially future pipeline projects where interstate natural gas markets are developing or expanding." Other meeting sites being considered include: Tampa or Tallahassee, FL; Wooster, OH; Boston, MA, or Portland, ME; Springfield, IN; Seattle/Puget Sound, WA: and Reno/Tahoe, NV or Salt Lake City, UT. Contact Pennie Louis-Partee at (202) 219-2722 for details.

Vermonters for a Clean Environment called FERC and asked if anyone from the public was making a presentation. The initial response was "no" and so VCE asked to make a 10 minute presentation from the point of view of citizens affected by pipeline proposals. We are waiting to hear from FERC about our request.

FERC's announcement was followed the next day by the natural gas pipeline explosion in New Mexico where 12 people were killed. FERC's desire to quicken the pace of pipeline project processing is most untimely.

Strip Mine

Vermonters for a Clean Environment (VCE) is hosting a public informational meeting for the people of Danby about OMYA's proposal to open a calcium carbonate strip mine in the Danby Four Corners Valley. The Thursday, August 31, 7 p.m. meeting at Danby Four Corners Town Hall will feature presentations about roads, geology/mining, and Act 250.

OMYA will be making a separate presentation to the people of Danby on Tuesday, September 26, 7 p.m., at Danby Four Corners Town Hall.

Vermonters for a Clean Environment, Inc.
789 Baker Brook Road, Danby, VT 05739
(802) 446-2094 || vce@sover.net || www.vtce.org