power plant

[Tom]

Your thoughts?

[Unregistered]

Typical of Walpole, while the rest of the world is looking into 'green' energy sources, our EDC and selectmen are looking into 'smokestacks'.
I write this out on this site knowing very few care about what goes on in this town, and the developers know that to be true.
Brockton is fighting the same situation and they think they are being targetted becuase they are not well off.
yet, Brockton have started using brownfields for solar 'bright fields.'
Look out here come 250' smokestacks over walpole.

Very sad indeed.

[Unregistered]

Acid Rain: NOx emissions from power plants can form acids in the atmosphere that fall to earth as rain, fog, snow or dry particles. This acid precipitation (known as "acid rain") is often carried hundreds of miles by the wind. Acid rain damages forests and causes lakes and streams to become acidic, killing the fish. Acid rain also damages buildings, historical monuments and even cars.

Oxygen Depletion: NOx power plant emissions also cause over fertilization of water bodies. Too much nitrogen causes algae blooms. When the algae die, they settle to the bottom where the decay process consumes oxygen and kills marine life. This overabundance of algae not only robs oxygen, but it also blocks light that fish, shellfish and aquatic vegetation need to survive.

Coastal waters are especially vulnerable to over-fertilization. Recent studies indicate that 33 percent of the nitrogen load in the Albermarle-Pamlico estuary (NC) and 15 percent of the load in the Long Island Sound come from air deposition. EPA's Great Waters Report estimates that 27 percent of the nitrogen entering the Chesapeake Bay can be attributed to atmospheric deposition. Moreover, a recent study by the North Carolina Sea Grant, found that 46-57 percent of new nitrogen deposits in the North Atlantic resulted from air pollution. Solving the problem of excessive nitrogen loading of surface waters starts with reducing NOx emissions from power plants.

Regional Haze: NOx emissions from power plants also cause visibility impairment, known as regional haze. Nitrate particles and nitrogen dioxide block the transmission of light and remain suspended in the atmosphere for long periods of time as they are carried by the wind. These light scattering particles degrade visibility on a regional scale in our national parks and other scenic areas. For instance, annual average visibility at Great Smoky Mountains National Park has been reduced to 22 miles, compared to natural conditions of 93 miles.

Forest and Crop Damage: NOx is the primary ingredient in ozone smog. Ozone smog is one of the most pervasive and detrimental pollutants known to affect vegetation, causing more injury to trees and crops than any other air pollutant in the United States. Ozone interferes with photosynthesis, the process by which plants convert water and sunlight to food.

Research has shown that current ozone concentrations result in reductions in wood growth in forests of the Northeast of over 10 percent. There is strong scientific evidence showing that current levels of ozone are reducing crop yields, particularly in sensitive species - soybean, cotton, and peanuts. Annual crop loss from ozone for soybeans alone in Illinois, Indiana and Ohio has been calculated to fall between $198,628,000 - $345,578,000.

Think Green !!!

[Unregistered]

Let go of the past and the nostalgia about smokestacks in east walpole.
These type of plants employ about 20 to 25 workers and the workers probably won't be living in Walpole. Those who will prosper are the landowner, the power plant company, the attornies who represent the company, and the PR guys who will try and sugarcoat the project.

[Unregistered]

Clean? ,It simply is not. It may be less dirty but it is not clean.
Competetive Power proposes a fossil fuel fired (natural gas and Ultra Low Sulfur Distillate [diesel]) electrical power generating plant.
The burning of any fossil fuel produces some emissions.

The ENF (Environmental Notification Form) Certificate issued by the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EOEEA) states “Emissions associated with the project include: 82 tons per year (tpy)
of particulate matter; 98 tpy of Carbon Monoxide (CO); 7 tpy of Sulfur dioxide (SO2); 17 tpy Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC); 87 tpy of Oxides of Nitrogen (NOx); 1,134,000 tpy of Carbon dioxide (C02 ); and less than 10 tpy of Hazardous Air Pollutants (HAPs).” This is a combined average of over 6 million pounds per day.

Admittedly, it may be the least dirty fossil fuel technology available today, but it still produces all the emissions listed above. In fact, the certificate later states, “The project requires a mandatory EIR [Environmental Impact Report] and an Air Quality Permit from MassDEP.
Therefore, it is subject to the EOEEA Greenhouse Gas Emissions (GHG) Emissions Policy, which requires GHG information to be provided during the MEPA process.”
Further, it details “The proponent has provided an estimate of C02 emissions in the ENF; the DEIR should update this figure as necessary. In accordance with the EOEEA Greenhouse Gas Emissions Policy, the DEIR should identify and describe all greenhouse gas emissions associated with the project and should propose measures to avoid, minimize and mitigate project-related greenhouse gas emissions.
The proponent should consider the six GHGs covered by the Kyoto Protocol: carbon dioxide (C02); methane (CH4); nitrous oxide (N20); hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs); perfluorocarbons (PFCs); and sulfurhexafluoride (SF6).
The proponent should consider both direct GHG emissions (e.g. stack and fugitive emissions from the proposed power plant) and indirect emissions (e.g. emissions from vehicles driven by employees and delivery trucks).
” These are the greenhouse gasses (GHG) associated with the current debate over the spread of global warming."
Perhaps more importantly, will this plant exceed any of the set limits in its emissions in the next tten or so years and yet be allowed to continue to operate at these excessive levels as has happened at other facilities throughout the state?

[Unregistered]

Here are some other aspects of having a powerplant the poster may have forgotten about.

In this day and age having a powerplant of any kind near a populated area would be putting the public in danger in the event some nutcase extremists decide to target such a plant. Do you remember all the hipe after 9/11 with the powerplants in Massachusetts? I not just talking about Pilgrim... All gas and oil plants were on alert, in some case with a bunch of trigger happy guards.

If the powerplant is not targetted then what about the exit point of the Gas line powering the facility. Has anyone seen on the news what a 36" pipeline looks like when it blows???

There is other forms of pollution other than smoke. There is noise and other forms of emissions coming out of a Gas Powerplant; what about EMF?

Have you heard the hum of a powerplant? Would you like to hear it 24 hours a day if you lived near the proposed site.

In short, a powerplant is a bad idea for such a populated area as Walpole.

[Unregistered]

a simple solution: ask this group to tell of us a similar sized facility located nearby, and give us the address. Give us the opportunity to do a drive-by to get a sense of the project.

we may be pleasantly surprised.

unless we get other sources of tax revenue, the future only holds that its all going to come out of our pockets.

[Unregistered]

There are two power plants in Bellingham, and there is another power plant in Charlton ,MA that people should go and look at. The Charlton plant is owned by the same company that wants to build one here in Walpole and is a 360MW combined-cycle natural gas turbine facility. It has a lovely 250 ft. smoke stack that sends nitrogen oxide and carbon monoxide into the air. If you care at all about your health and the safety of your community, a power plant is a bad idea. There is considerable RISK involved with this type of plant, not to mention what will happen to the property value of people's homes in Walpole. I'm sure the folks in Symphony Park are not going to be very happy when the value of their property goes down because of their proximity to a power plant. It is frightening that some people think that a power plant is a good idea , and are willing to tolerate all sorts of risks just for some revenue. Also, at this point no one knows how much revenue the Town will receive if the power plant is built here because that price has yet to be negotiated.
The risks far outweigh any revenue the Town will receive!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Unregistered]

Just get on 495 towards Bellingham and follow the two smokestacks.

[Unregistered]

Look, I understand that the town needs tax revenue. By why is it the town attract the worse industries that one can imagine?
You all know the litany:
Junk yards, sludge, propane farms, regional trash transfer stations.. it is pathetic.
I ask our town leaders and the EDC: Why can’t you look for forward thinking solutions?
In the era of global warming, asthma in children at an all time high, you are we inviting in a power plant.
And please don’t insult my intelligence by saying it is clean.
Certainly cleaner then older technologies, but not clean.
Remember Clinton asked ‘How do you define sex’, I ask you ‘How do you define clean?’
Do not sell out our town!