From:                                         Patricia Hynes <hphynes@gmail.com>

Sent:                                           Sunday, June 30, 2019 9:55 PM

To:                                               RPS, DOER (ENE)

Cc:                                               Blais, Natalie - Rep.; jo.comerford@masenate.gov

Subject:                                     proposed state legislation to provide subsidies for biomass plants and proposed siting in Springfield of biomass plant

 

Mr. John Wassam, DOER

Dear Mr. Wassam,

 

In this letter, I wish to register my opposition to state subsidies for biomass plants and also to siting a biomass plant in Springfield.

The state Department of Energy Resources (DOER) consider incineratingg biomass to be “clean energy” and is promoting legislation to give state renewable energy subsidies to biomass facilities.  DOER) is also backing a proposed Palmer Renewable Energy biomass plan to be sited in East Springfield, which will burn wood chips, wood pellets and other wood products.  Here are 3 reasons that this legislation is reckless for the environment and and the proposed biomass plant in Springfield is unjust.

1. Air pollution: Biomass burners pollute as much as coal – the dirtiest air polluter of all the fossil fuels – emitting air pollutants that cause and worsen asthma, resulting in ER visits, missed school and work days for children and their parents.  Source: http://www.pfpi.net/air-pollution-22

 2. Climate Crisis: Burning whole trees for energy increases carbon emissions compared to fossil fuels and does so for decades, given the lag time between cutting trees and waiting for newly planted ones to mature.  It is not carbon neutral.

3. Environmental Injustice: Springfield is the worst place in the state to site a biomass burner, having been designated as the worst US city for someone with asthma by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.  Moreover, Springfield residents have a poverty rate nearly 3 times the state average; and a majority of the city’s residents are people of color.  The state’s siting choice is blatantly unjust to the city’s residents.



H. Patricia Hynes

Montague, MA

Retired environmental engineer and Professor of Environmental Health from Boston University