Oct. 30--BRATTLEBORO -- A group of Greenfield, Mass., residents has taken its Zoning Board of Appeals to court to contest its decision approving a wood-burning combined heat and power facility within the town limits.

"We feel that the ZBA has been misinformed about pollution and waste water matters," said Leonard Weeks, a member of the group that is appealing the decision.

Weeks and the others are asking the court to force the ZBA to take more time deliberating the effects of the plant. He hopes that if the court approves the appeal, more experts will be called to discuss the topic with the ZBA.

"We were only allowed one expert witness," said Weeks, and then only for 10 minutes. "Pioneer Renewable Energy had four or five and they could speak as long as they want. There's something underhanded going on."

Pioneer Renewable Energy has proposed a 47-megawatt wood-to-electicity power plant in Greenfield. The plant would burn three million tons of wood a day.

"PRE would burn more wood than the entire forest harvest we have now in Massachusetts," said Chris Matera, the founder of Massachusetts Forest Watch.

It would also release carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, volatile organic compounds and particulates into the atmosphere, he said.

And at 25 percent efficiency, burning wood for electricity just doesn't make sense, said Matera.

Weeks said he also feels PRE came to Greenfield not because of its location but because it's an

economically distressed area.

"They mistook the public for not being smart or educated," said Weeks.

While the mayor said he supports the proposed plant, 450 residents showed up at a recent town meeting to protest it, said Weeks.

"Townspeople don't feel good about it," he said.

Weeks is also concerned that PRE is proposing to use "gray water" to cool the plant. That could create a fog of chemicals and other pollutants that would be harmful to the health of all who live in the vicinity of the plant, said Weeks.

Matthew Wolfe, a PRE representative, said many of the negative things said about the proposal are "misrepresentations, slander, fiction or flat-out lies."

The ZBA placed 27 conditions on the plant's permits, he said, including prohibiting the use of construction and demolition debris, limiting the hours during which the facility can accept truck deliveries and operate chipping equipment, and restricting the routes trucks may use to access the facility.

The project will help to diversify the energy supply in Massachusetts, reducing the state's dependence on fossil fuels and help to combat global warming, he said.

The project will also create significant new employment in the region and add substantially to the local tax base, said Wolfe. More than 400 permanent and construction jobs would be created by the project.

Earlier this year, Massachusetts Secretary of Environmental Affairs Ian Bowles ruled that PRE had completed its Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act review and could proceed to seek the additional permits necessary

"Any remaining issues can be adequately addressed during the state and local permitting and review process," stated Bowles' decision.

PRE must still obtain permits including a state air permit, a water permit to use the treated town wastewater for cooling, a beneficial use determination to re-use the ash as a certified organic soil enhancement and an industrial wastewater permit.

Wolfe admitted that unless the plant finds a customer for the heat and hot water produced during the electric generation process, it will be only 25 percent efficient.

"There's no arguing that we want more efficiency," he said.

Bob Audette can be reached at raudette@reformer.com, or at 802-254-2311, ext. 273.

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