Published in the Courier-Tribune on September 14, 2011
by Hugh Martin
CANDOR — Just two days before the Town of Candor was to hold two public hearings Monday to address zoning changes to allow Mountaire Farms to burn poultry waste at a proposed biomass energy facility, the company chose to pull the issue from the table.
A Mountaire Farms contractor notified Mayor Richard Britt that the company would use wood waste as its fuel, not poultry waste.
Brownie Newman, managing member of CHP Solutions, an Asheville company that would operate the proposed facility, notified Candor officials of the change in an email on Saturday.
“Rather than utilizing poultry litter as the fuel source for the Combined Heat and Power (CHP) system at the Mountaire Farms Feedmill, we believe the best approach is to simply utilize wood waste as the fuel source,” Newman wrote.
Bill Bruton of Candor, who has been leading the opposition to the facility, wasn’t impressed.
Citing research figures Bruton said, “Wood incineration is four percent more polluting than a new coal plant, only 11 percent less polluting than a chicken-litter plant, and 48 percent more polluting than an existing coal plant.”
Bruton is opposed to any type of biomass facility being located within the city limits.
“While I suspect it’s true that wood puts fewer heavy metals into play, with the exception of sulfur dioxide, wood puts more of these particles in the air than a new coal plant and more carbon monoxide than an existing coal plant or poultry litter,” he said.
In the email, Newman said, “While we believe that many of the statements made over the past several months about the proposal to use poultry litter as a renewable fuel have been inaccurate and misleading, rather than extending the debate on those issues, we would prefer to move forward with an approach that can receive broad community support.
“In terms of using wood as the fuel source for the project, these types of wood heating systems have been used for many decades in North Carolina. There is a very large number operating all across North Carolina, including the local area.”
Judy Stevens, executive director of the Montgomery Economic Development Corp., said that Jordan Lumber Company, near Mt. Gilead, has been burning wood at their facility for years.
The Candor Planning Board met twice in August to consider two separate ordinance amendments, one that would allow the change of fuel sources by local industries and allow the generation of electricity by an industry for their own use or for sale to the local utility.
Showing posts with label Brownie Newman. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Brownie Newman. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Candor commissioners say no to animal waste for fuel ♥
Published in the Courier-Tribune on September 14, 2011
by Hugh Martin
CANDOR — After Saturday’s notification that Mountaire Farms would use wood instead of poultry litter to make electricity to run its feed mill in Candor, the board of commissioners met Monday night as scheduled, held the public hearing and amended the town’s zoning ordinance.
The amendment was changed to prohibit the incineration of animal waste products, but the commissioners voted to allow biomass incineration in industrial-zoned areas.
The decision paves the way for Mountaire Farms, which operates a feed mill in the town’s city limits, to apply for a conditional use permit to construct a facility that would generate steam for plant operations and electricity to be sold to Progress Energy.
Mountaire had originally planned to burn poultry waste, which drew opposition from neighbors and people from as far away as Southern Pines and Aberdeen.
Prior to the hearings, Mountaire officials had met with Candor Mayor Richard Britt and had come to an agreement that the company would change their fuel source from poultry to wood waste.
“No chicken litter will be burned in Candor while I’m sitting in this seat,” Britt stated to the full house of citizens that crowded the meeting room.
The first person to address the board during the hearing was Chris Smithson, a town councilman from Southern Pines. He represented that board as he urged the Candor commissioners to “proceed with caution” and slow down the text amendment process until further research could be conducted.
The Mountaire facility is located near the headwaters of Drowning Creek, which is the primary source of drinking water for southern Moore County.
“North Carolina law provides that a conditional use does not require it to be safe, but that opponents must prove that it is unsafe,” Smithson said.
Bill Bruton of Candor, who has led the opposition, cautioned that even though chicken litter was no longer being considered by Mountaire, it was still considered biomass and could possibly be included for use by another company that may choose to locate in Candor in the future.
Although the public hearing was legally advertised in local newspapers, some Moore County citizens were upset with the process.
“I found out about this last weekend, which was a holiday, and I was mad,” said Carolyn Shaw of Aberdeen. “This was a stealth movement by the Town of Candor and we did not know about it. If something else comes up, you should let us know.”
Shaw told the board that companies like Mountaire and Fibrowatt are targeting poorer counties to build their plants.
“They don’t care about anyone’s health,” she said. “They are out for a buck. They are unreliable and you cannot believe what you are told.”
Fibrowatt is a company that had chosen a Montgomery County tract east of Biscoe to construct a large power plant that was to be fueled by poultry waste. That project has been stalled by the reluctance of power companies to sign a purchase agreement with Fibrowatt.
Concerns over the burning of wood over chicken litter were addressed. Bruton questioned the statements that a certain percentage of particulates would be captured by scrubbers in the smokestacks.
“If we’re told that 90 percent is captured, we have to ask, 90 percent of what?”
Bruton said that once a facility is up and running, “it would be difficult to rein it in if something bad happens.”
Commissioner Tim Smith said that he would support the amendment that the town was presenting as long as it was revised to exclude animal waste products as a fuel.
Brownie Newman of Combined Heat and Power, an Asheville company that will operate the plant for Mountaire, said that he thought that would be a good solution.
Following the meeting, Newman stated that his company plans to build a facility that would burn up to 70 tons of wood each day. When asked what would be done with the ash byproduct from the burning process, Newman said he did not yet know, but that he would have that information “within a few days.”
“Wood is not a regulated fuel source,” Newman said. “But, chicken litter is not regulated, either.”
In other business Commissioners Smith, Layton Booker and Tim Privett:
* Heard a brief report by Judy Stevens, Executive Director of Montgomery Economic Development Corp., in support of Mountaire Farms.
* Heard from N.C. Cooperative Extension Agent Danelle McKnight about the new Candor Downtown Growers Market, scheduled to begin operation on Friday, Sept. 16.
* Will make a $100 donation to the local Boy Scout troop.
* Tabled a decision on signage for the Candor Farmers’ Market until local vendors can be contacted for a price quote.
by Hugh Martin
CANDOR — After Saturday’s notification that Mountaire Farms would use wood instead of poultry litter to make electricity to run its feed mill in Candor, the board of commissioners met Monday night as scheduled, held the public hearing and amended the town’s zoning ordinance.
The amendment was changed to prohibit the incineration of animal waste products, but the commissioners voted to allow biomass incineration in industrial-zoned areas.
The decision paves the way for Mountaire Farms, which operates a feed mill in the town’s city limits, to apply for a conditional use permit to construct a facility that would generate steam for plant operations and electricity to be sold to Progress Energy.
Mountaire had originally planned to burn poultry waste, which drew opposition from neighbors and people from as far away as Southern Pines and Aberdeen.
Prior to the hearings, Mountaire officials had met with Candor Mayor Richard Britt and had come to an agreement that the company would change their fuel source from poultry to wood waste.
“No chicken litter will be burned in Candor while I’m sitting in this seat,” Britt stated to the full house of citizens that crowded the meeting room.
The first person to address the board during the hearing was Chris Smithson, a town councilman from Southern Pines. He represented that board as he urged the Candor commissioners to “proceed with caution” and slow down the text amendment process until further research could be conducted.
The Mountaire facility is located near the headwaters of Drowning Creek, which is the primary source of drinking water for southern Moore County.
“North Carolina law provides that a conditional use does not require it to be safe, but that opponents must prove that it is unsafe,” Smithson said.
Bill Bruton of Candor, who has led the opposition, cautioned that even though chicken litter was no longer being considered by Mountaire, it was still considered biomass and could possibly be included for use by another company that may choose to locate in Candor in the future.
Although the public hearing was legally advertised in local newspapers, some Moore County citizens were upset with the process.
“I found out about this last weekend, which was a holiday, and I was mad,” said Carolyn Shaw of Aberdeen. “This was a stealth movement by the Town of Candor and we did not know about it. If something else comes up, you should let us know.”
Shaw told the board that companies like Mountaire and Fibrowatt are targeting poorer counties to build their plants.
“They don’t care about anyone’s health,” she said. “They are out for a buck. They are unreliable and you cannot believe what you are told.”
Fibrowatt is a company that had chosen a Montgomery County tract east of Biscoe to construct a large power plant that was to be fueled by poultry waste. That project has been stalled by the reluctance of power companies to sign a purchase agreement with Fibrowatt.
Concerns over the burning of wood over chicken litter were addressed. Bruton questioned the statements that a certain percentage of particulates would be captured by scrubbers in the smokestacks.
“If we’re told that 90 percent is captured, we have to ask, 90 percent of what?”
Bruton said that once a facility is up and running, “it would be difficult to rein it in if something bad happens.”
Commissioner Tim Smith said that he would support the amendment that the town was presenting as long as it was revised to exclude animal waste products as a fuel.
Brownie Newman of Combined Heat and Power, an Asheville company that will operate the plant for Mountaire, said that he thought that would be a good solution.
Following the meeting, Newman stated that his company plans to build a facility that would burn up to 70 tons of wood each day. When asked what would be done with the ash byproduct from the burning process, Newman said he did not yet know, but that he would have that information “within a few days.”
“Wood is not a regulated fuel source,” Newman said. “But, chicken litter is not regulated, either.”
In other business Commissioners Smith, Layton Booker and Tim Privett:
* Heard a brief report by Judy Stevens, Executive Director of Montgomery Economic Development Corp., in support of Mountaire Farms.
* Heard from N.C. Cooperative Extension Agent Danelle McKnight about the new Candor Downtown Growers Market, scheduled to begin operation on Friday, Sept. 16.
* Will make a $100 donation to the local Boy Scout troop.
* Tabled a decision on signage for the Candor Farmers’ Market until local vendors can be contacted for a price quote.
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