Enviro groups say MA biomass regs weak

BOSTON, Mass. (WWLP) - Putting a twist on the parking ticket, citizen and environment groups are giving the governor an “environmental ticket” plus 5,000 petitions against what they consider the state’s weak regulations on biomass plants.

“We came with a car load of people from Montgomery, Westfield, Agawam, Northampton, and our desire was to show support for this statewide to control the proliferation of biomass,” said Claudia Hurley of Westfield.

Environment groups say wood burning power plants could damage air quality through carbon dioxide emissions and lead to the clear cutting of state forests. So far, biomass plants in Springfield, Greenfield, Russell and Pittsfield have been proposed in Western Massachusetts.

“We live 1,500 feet from the proposed biomass plant site in Greenfield and I’m concerned about my family and their health,” said Wendy Lapointe, a stay-at-home mom from Gill whose young daughter, Amanda, carried stacks of petitions in her hands. “We don’t want these [biomass plants] anywhere in the state.”

Of the proposed plants in Western Massachusetts, environment groups say they would lag at 20 to 40% efficiency – “which means for every 100 trees you burn, 60 of them are wasted and not converted to any energy at all,” explained Biomass Accountability Project president Meg Sheehan.

Biomass plants are part of the governor’s goal of getting 15% of the state’s energy needs away from fossil fuels and toward renewable sources by 2020. But environment groups say burning biomass, also known as wood, is harmful to the environment.

Currently, ratepayers pay more on their electricity bills to subsidize clean energy projects such as solar and wind power. Since wood burning is also considered a renewable energy source, environment groups say ratepayers are being forced to subsidize dirty power.

“We are paying more for that electricity because we’re bring told its renewable and clean and green when really, it’s dirtier than coal,” said Sheehan.

In the spring, the governor proposed regulations to limit state financing to the most energy-efficient biomass plants.