In response to the Jan. 10 article "Planned energy lant opposed," we have committed to being a clean and safe neighbor as we have demonstrated in the other Massachusetts communities where we have developed natural-gas-burning power plants that meet the best available control technology required by the state Department of Environmental Protection.
We recognize the concerns of Paige Impick and her neighbors. These issues were recently the subject of extensive hearings before the state Energy Facilities Siting Board in which Billerica Watchers had full participation and the benefit of an expert witness on this topic. The results of the independent health consultant are available on the town of Billerica website (see April 10 and July 31 reports by Environmental Health and Engineering). These studies support our view that the plant meets all such public health criteria by a significant margin.
I would offer the following clarification to the article. First, we have taken into account the recently adopted DEP guidelines for fine particulates and we will comply with the daily and annual standards. Second, we will use backup oil only when gas supplies are interrupted by a pipeline emergency such as a severe cold snap.
In our permit application to the DEP we have sought no commercial use for oil. In fact, we have proposed an annual cap for oil usage of 200 - about 2.5 percent of the hours each year. We will operate on natural gas 100 percent of most winter periods due to the strategic location of our pipeline. Third, the modeling techniques questioned by our opponents have been prescribed by the Mass. DEP and the EPA. The secretary of Environmental Affairs has already certified that Mass. DEP "expressed its concurrence with the proponent's air quality modeling, analysis, and results"
Finally, all impacts have been predicated on a worst-case run time of 25 percent of hours. In fact, we have testified to the siting board that we will typically operate 10-15 percent of the hours and during daytime hours.
The fact that we meet all standards on a worst-case basis was confirmed by Billerica Watchers' own air quality expert - see Siting Board Transcript at pp. 442,745.
More information on the project can be found at dgcleanpower.com/billerica.
JOSEPH F. FITZPATRICK
Montgomery Energy Billerica Energy Powers
Demand calls for new energy sources
Your Jan. 10 article "Planned energy plant opposed" is a good opportunity to remind people that New England, and in particular Massachusetts, needs new power sources.
ISO New England, the operator of the region's energy grid, stated in October 2007 that peak electricity use is expected to grow some 1.7 percent annually and that 3,500 megawatts of new power will be needed by 2016. The proposed plant in Billerica represents just one-10th of the amount of new power needed. Given the amount of time it takes to permit and site a power plant, the time to act is now.
The fact is, within the next 30 years there is going to be a dire need to replace all of Massachusetts' aging plants with clean, base-load power that can operate 24/7 without interruption.
The facility siting process is deliberate and thorough in particular to ensure that environmental needs are met. Regulators and elected leaders must work together with members of the community to make sure that any siting decisions are based on solid facts and not scare tactics or emotion.
LAUREN MAURIELLO
Program coordinator
Massachusetts Affordable Reliable Electricity Alliance
