Published in the Courier-Tribune on June 1, 2011
Errors are bolded and italicized,
by Hugh Martin
CANDOR — A proposed bio-mass boiler facility that would generate thermal energy and electricity to operate the Mountaire Farms plant in Candor has adjacent landowners concerned.
They are questioning the safety and future use of the generator.
During a public hearing May 25, Candor’s Board of Commissioners heard presentations from Brownie Newman of FLS Energy, which would operate the facility. Newman made comparisons between the proposed Candor facility and a bio-mass facility that is expected to locate in Biscoe.
The Biscoe facility, according to Newman, would produce 32 megawatts of power; the Candor facility would produce less than one megawatt. Both facilities would use chicken litter as the primary fuel source.
Newman said Mountaire would make a $7.5 million investment, resulting in annual tax revenues of $40,000 to the town and $55,000 to Montgomery County.
Will Kisner, facility designer with Port-Land Systems, said the 18,000-square-foot building housing the generator would be a pre-engineered metal structure with a single smokestack.
Joe Sullivan of Trinity Consultants, an air quality emissions permitting company, noted the filtering system would be the most efficient available, calling it a “Cadillac system” for this type of operation.
Bill Bruton, who lives adjacent to the Mountaire Farms plant on N.C. 211, stated his concerns about the zoning action and permitting procedure. At present, there is no conditional use for a bio-mass facility in the zoning ordinances.
Bruton said that such a facility should not be located within city limits. In a memo Bruton sent to landowners and tenants near the Mountaire plant, he said the commercial real estate located along the N.C. 211 corridor “holds the most promise for a future valuation increase and tax base increase.”
Bruton also stated that “production of electric power is among the lowest-value land uses that exist,” effectively resulting in a permanent devaluation of the property in the vicinity of the boiler.
“That is why power plants exist only in sparsely populated unincorporated areas, or in the ‘armpits’ of northeastern cities,” Bruton said.
Citing the use of chicken litter as a fuel, Bruton added, “power generation facilities should be out of sight and out of smell of existing or future land development.”
Richard Broker, representing the owners of the vacant Commodore Homes building located immediately across N.C. 211 from the proposed site, expressed concerns about possible odors and property devaluations.
Kisner said that trucks hauling the litter would be sealed and pulled inside the building for unloading. Newman added that the trucks would be washed for bio-security with the effluent going into the municipal sewer system. The fly ash from the facility would be transported outside of the Town of Candor and sold to companies that would use the by-product in the manufacture of fertilizer.
Bruton expressed his concern of the emissions from the plant. Sullivan replied the facility would have to demonstrate compliance for the continuous performance of the filtration equipment.
Russell Hollers, who lives near the site, asked if the company had ever built one of these facilities before. Newman responded they had. (built a similar facility but not one with the same specifications.)
According to Newman, the facility would be highly automated, requiring a minimum of employees. Progress Energy will provide one employee during the day with two employees of the facility on-site to handle deliveries of the litter.
FLS will operate the facility for the first five years, after which Mountaire will take over operations.
Hollers asked what would prevent expansion of the facility to sell more electricity in the future. Newman responded that Mountaire would have no incentive to expand because it would not be economical.
David Harris, who operates a sod farm adjacent to the Mountaire property, said he has a positive relationship with Mountaire, but that he is concerned with breathing the particulates that would be emitted. Sullivan repeated the air quality standards required by N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
Dr. David Bruton, former head of the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services, warned of the health uncertainties involved. He said the board should balance what they would receive against what they would not get because of devalued properties.
Becky Williams, former Candor mayor, asked if solar energy had been considered. Newman responded that it had, but that it would not produce enough heat to produce the steam needed for power generation.
In response to questions, Newman said that 45 (4-5) trucks would service the facility each day and that natural gas would be the ideal fuel, but it is not available in that part of the county.
A second public hearing will be scheduled to continue the discussion of the amendment of the zoning ordinance.
No comments:
Post a Comment