From: Peggy Wolff <peggylwolff@gmail.com>
Sent: Thursday, May 23, 2019 10:19 AM
To: RPS, DOER (ENE)
Subject: Biomass subsidies
To: John Wassam, Department of
Energy Resources
From: Peggy Wolff, M.S., R.N., 126
Cave Hill Rd., Leverett, MA
Date: May 23, 2019
Subject: Proposed Changes Prioritizing
Biomass Plants for Subsidies under the new Clean Peak Energy Standard by the
Department of Energy Resources
I appreciate having an opportunity
to offer written testimony on the proposed changes by Department of Energy
Resources to prioritize biomass plants for subsides under the new Clean Peak
Energy Standard and to increase financial support for garbage incinerators.
I am a Master’s prepared registered
nurse, a mother, and grandmother of a child with asthma who lives in Brookline,
MA. I have spent 7 years (1994-2000) recovering from an environmental illness.
Once I recovered, I counseled patients with environmental illnesses until my
retirement 3 years ago.
I am strongly opposed to weakening
the protective regulations that currently restrict biomass in the Renewable
Portfolio Standard. You are opening the door to wood-burning power
plants; I want to ask you if you would like a wood-burning power plant in your
backyard? These proposed changes would greatly increase CO2 as well as increase
particulate matter leading to even more cases of asthma.
Last week, I attended the hearing
at UMass, Amherst and heard an overwhelming, “just say no” response to the DOER
proposed changes. It was also thoughtless not to have had a microphone; even if
you had not thought about it before the meeting, surely someone could have
gotten one. It more than gives the “I don’t really want to hear you”
impression.
It is critical to know the
following:
Burning wood increases air
pollution.
Burning wood is not
climate-friendly.
Forests are essential for our
future.
Clean energy doesn’t come out
of a smokestack.
Please know that those of us
who reside in Western Massachusetts will be most adversely affected if wood
biomass continues to be part of the Alternative Portfolio Standard. Do the
right thing while we still have a chance to protect ourselves and our planet.
Thank you.