Spisak speaks out against Toxic plant

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Environmentalists voice concerns
Panel discusses proposed fuel facility's possible impact on air and water quality

By CASEY BARTO/Journal Staff Writer POSTED: September 7, 2008 Save | Print | Email | Read comments | Post a comment
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LISBON - Urging county residents to consider the environmental impact of a proposed coal to liquid fuel plant, environmentalists from the Sierra Club and Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) appealed to residents to ask questions to government officials about the proposed project during a town hall meeting, Saturday.

The meeting was held to discuss the proposed $5 billion coal to liquid fuel plant to be operated by Baard Energy just outside of Wellsville.

Officials from Baard declined an invitation to attend yesterday's meeting, due in part to the public hearing scheduled for Wednesday on an air permit for the facility. The air permit is one of several Baard needs to operate the plant.

The emissions from the proposed plant are one thing environmentalists are concerned about. Shannon Fisk, attorney for the NRDC, said the emission of carbon dioxide as well as other harmful chemicals which would be released into the environment would affect the air quality, natural resources and climate of the area.

"The pollution isn't going to stop at the county border line," Fisk said of the plant, which will be situated in Columbiana and Jefferson Counties.

Also a concern for environmentalists is that the plant would require the mining of 9.3 million tons of coal per year, contribute to elevated levels of fine particulate matter, emit unnecessary levels of sulfur dioxide, and would be located in an area overburdened with air pollution.

Baard has proposed a solution to the carbon dioxide concern, which would include the injection of the gas into the ground.
However, Roxanne Burns, an associate professor of biology at Kent State in East Liverpool, who was a panelist at yesterday's event, said she is aware that the technology needed for such a proposal doesn't exist yet.

Dennis Spisak, who attended the meeting, agreed with Burns, saying the method was going to be tested in Germany within the next three years.

"Their proposal for air emissions hasn't even been tested," Spisak said. "This is a toxic poison plant. We need renewable energy jobs for the community."
Citizens in the area where the proposed plant will operate think it will benefit the community by creating jobs, local blogger and former area journalist Matt Stewart said. Stewart was asked to provide a community prospective on the matter.

"Poll the people in Wellsville and most think it's a bad idea but we need jobs," said a Wellsville woman. "Even if we don't want it, what can we do about it?"

Stewart and Fisk encouraged the woman to encourage others to voice their dissenting opinions to Baard and local officials.

Fisk noted that the NRDC has stopped the construction of 69 proposed coal to liquid fuel plants around the country organizing groups and speaking out about them.

"Don't give up," he said. "Organize your friends, your neighbors and push the local and state government to provide you with something better."

A concern about school children breathing in the emissions from the plant was expressed by a Wellsville man, who said the community should be worried about protecting its children, not about jobs.

Nachy Kanfer, a spokesman for the Sierra Club National Coal Campaign, said the plant would be located less than half a mile from the high school football field and less than a mile from Garfield Elementary.

A woman in attendance was worried about the effects of acid rain on the area and surrounding states.

"This is a very poorly designed project with far reaching implications," she said.

Another man was frustrated over the lack of government help from polluting companies.

"Nobody's helping us," he said. "We've got that landfill up the road, and this plant. The river keeps going, and that pollution's going to spread."

Burns added that similar plants are being planned along the Ohio River and that the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (OEPA) has approved Baard to release cyanide, zinc and other harmful toxins into the river.

Another resident's concern was for the additional carbon emissions that would be released into the air while the coal was transported to the plant.

Environmentalists encouraged those present to speak with their local and state officials about the benefits of creating green jobs.

"A green economy is the way to go," said Fisk, adding that several jobs would be created by the need to retrofit buildings to improve energy efficiency.

The public hearing on the air emissions permit will be held at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at Wellsville High School.

cbarto@mojonews.com