Biomass Generator

19 years ago

A company has proposed building a biomass generator down the street from me. This will be a 100 million dollar project in an industrial zone with homes abutting the 30 acre site. The facility will burn a combination of forest residue and construction debris.

Is there any readers who live next to, or near a biomass generator?

Recognizing the regional impact of air quality that will be licensed and approved by the state, my concerns as a close abutter is noise, traffic, dust, lighting, emissions and the steam plume.

Any comments pro or con would be helpful, for more information visit, http://www.cchnh.org/

Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.cchnh.org/

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Comments (12)

David1
19 years ago
If this biomass generator is so bad, why not invite an alternate company to make proposals. Below is an address...these people spoke to the Ag Council of California last year. They are looking for sites. They tout that they can digest everything organic, from railroad ties to, of course, ag byproducts. David1

http://www.brienergy.com/index.htm
farmersam
19 years ago
Would you be asking those questions if the site was in another county and not your backyard?

Sam
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Without the chlorophyll production, the leaves have a substantially reduced ability to uptake carbon dioxide and produce sugars necessary to function. The process of photosynthesis is how a plant acquires the components to produce ATP, which is one of the key sources for energy for nearly every active cellular requirment in any biological organism. I am simplifying this a lot, there or other important products produced here as well. You get the gist. There are not a lot of examples of variegation existing in the wild, as the lack of cells capable of producing energy is a huge disadvantage. The biomass generated by a white leaf os the same as a green leaf, requiring the same products to produce. The missing chloroplast organelles isn't going to cut back on the net "grocery bill" for producing those leaves. Plants have nifty transport systems already in place to transfer and store photosynthates. Structures like roots and flowers can't produce them and still need energy, so they are moved throughout the plant. My plant physiology course didn't focus much on variegated and white leaves, so I am not sure how much on the way of photosynthate they are recieving from the rest of the plant. Maybe a little, but the white leaves usually grow so much slower than the rest of the plant. Either way, the white leaves need a lot of light to function, more so than a nice dark green leaf would. If they can't get it, they die because they aren't able to take up what they need to maintain basic cell function. So yeah, shorter lifespan. For us, probably due mostly to lack of sun. I saw a photo in another group recently, taken by some tropical grower, of a big white compacta vine with a flower on it. Ohh, to have those levels of sunshine! My plant is big though, so should be fine. :) This does have me curious about all sorts of things. I am going to have to look at both white and green leaf tissue under a microscope one of these days.
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David1
19 years ago
Sam; Would you be asking those questions if the site was in your backyard? David1
bruceNH
Original Author
19 years ago
Sam, yes, I would and I do. Are you criticizing me for asking? Did I say I was for or against? This is considered a green industry, it will burn a renewable resource and lessen our dependence on imported oil. But it also will release many compounds into the atmosphere.
althea_gw
19 years ago
Bruce, I used to live within two miles of a "waste to energy" incinerator, the county's answer to landfilling municpal waste. There have been ongoing problems with mercury and other emmisssions. I think dioxin would be a problem with construction waste incinerator proposed for your area. All in all, the incinerator here is a boondoggle. I suspect the one planned for your area will be as well. You should move right away, of course put up a fight, but if your area has bureaucrats similar to those here, it will be
approved.
wayne_5 zone 6a Central Indiana
19 years ago
"There have been ongoing problems with mercury and other emmisssions."

Maybe I'm a dreamer, but why oh why do we have so many trashers? Even that municipal and yard waste should not have all kinds of batteries, pop can lids and on and on.
Millet
19 years ago
Farmer Sam, you are a beacon of reason whose strength seems not to fade . How you have been able to stand straight in the mist of such never ending alarmists is certainly an attribute.
farmersam
19 years ago
The reason I asked the question is most are for this type of thing because it sounds green unless of course it is in their backyard.

Folks, technology has advanced to the point of almost zero emissions. Have none of you heard of stack scrubbers. Been around for four decades and they've got it down to a science.

And burning anything creates compounds, it is after all a chemical reaction that happens to give off more heat then it requires to sustain the reaction. Chemical reactions create compounds.

And those scrubbers capture those compounds other then carbon dioxide and dihydrogen oxide including particulates.

Modern incinerators operate far below the current levels deemed acceptable by the EPA.

Can some of you ever be pleased?

Sam
wayne_5 zone 6a Central Indiana
19 years ago
Sam, I don't think so.
I was walking back in the fields on the home farm where I grew up. I noticed several things that could use better soil consevation. Yes, it's no-till and that probably is a plus. Yet there are 5 small wash/gullies that should have been seeded to wheat for over-wintering...they have lost some soil after our very rainy winter....things like this take extra care and big farming with part-time extra jobs just doesn't get around to it...sigh
bruceNH
Original Author
19 years ago
Yes Sam, I think so.

This biomass is being designed for forest debris with 10% to 15% construction debris, it will not burn other waste. But the state preempts the town and any agreement in what is used for fuel.

I think the concern is that the generator could use more construction debris for fuel in the future. I guess the debate of bringing in out of state construction debris hits a nerve with many, though the garbage picked up at curbside goes to a regional landfill. Massachusetts has legislation to ban all CD waste from their landfills, New Hampshire has 10 proposed wood burning generators.

Yes Wayne, sigh..........I get your drift.

As I said, I am not pro or con on this idea, just ignorant on this issue, came here for an education and knew I would be open for criticism and do thank you for pointing out obvious bias I may have and there certainly are more important issues to worry about or take issue with, than a small wood burning generator.

Bruce
Bill_G
19 years ago
I would not be opposed to such a project. We have several pulp mills here that generate their own power from mixed C&D, yard debris, and lumber mill waste. The truck traffic is a bigger hassle than the stack emissions. I promise you air quality will not be a problem. As a community keep their feet to the fire (so to speak) to protect yourselves. Get involved and help plan it out. Don't be obstructionists. Make it something everyone can be proud of. My advise is work on the traffic flow. They plan on over 200 trips a day and that does not count the employees, vendors, and support traffic. Get those roads right and you'll save yourself a lot of headaches.
fred_m
17 years ago
I've been collecting information on biomass generators with the thought of building one as a fuel supply for an Internal Combustion (IC) emergency backup generator for my home. It appears that the super high temperatures in a well built bio-mass generator ends up releasing significantly less carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide than fossil fuels, since a high percentage of the carbon is converted into fuel. That is not to say that other incidental contaminants are not present in the materials used in production of the gas but by design the gas must be thoroughly filtered prior to introduction into the engine that drives the generator. Otherwise premature deterioration of the system would occur. The bio fuel gas is filtered in a wet process which produces a sludge, or by dry methods such as electrostatic, membrane, baffles, or some combination, which produces ash
I would hope any plan for a commercial power plant would include adequate filtration of the resulting fuel gas to ensure a cost effective life cycle of the facility. The only real material remaining of concern is the reduced ash or sludge, which contains the contaminants. If the facility is well planned, that material would be marketed for commercial reclamation.
If I were you I would take a peek at the EIS and see if these elements are covered.

Fred Miller

Biomass Generator

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