Articles/Commentary:
TOP NEWS Stories:
Seneca’s biomass plant fails first pollution test
An environmental agency fines the company $9,856, but says the emissions pose no threat to human health – by Diane Dietz, The Eugene Register-Guard
Battle Over Biomass: Does Seneca’s plant violate pollution regs? (Eugene Weekly) – Story & Photos By Camilla Mortensen
We can’t afford to ignore the science on bioenergy – Oregonian – December 08, 2010 | Guest column by Franz A. Matzner, Lisa Arkin [OTA Exec. Director] and Jeanne Roy
Biomass is not Oregon’s clean-energy future as currently promoted – Oregonian – October 20, 2010
Guest column by Lisa Arkin, OTA Executive Director
Burning biomass to generate energy is a dirty business – Register-Guard GUEST VIEWPOINT by Lisa Arkin, OTA Executive Director
Burning wood as renewable power draws scrutiny in Oregon and nationwide by Scott Learn, The Oregonian (PDF file)
Burn Up the Biosphere and Call It Renewable Energy: The New Taxpayer Bailout That Will Make You Sick AND Poor by Rachel Smolker – Just when you thought the biofuels bad dream was about over along comes the nightmare of “biomass.” – Published February 10, 2010 by CommonDreams.org
BIOMASS Linked to Greenhouse Pollution (Eugene Weekly) – Dec. 10, 2009
Background on Biomass & Seneca biomass energy generation plant:
From Beyond Toxics
- Beyond Toxics fact sheet: “Seneca’s Proposed Power Plant – Is it Green?” (PDF file)
- Special report: “Chemical Relationships between Greenhouse Gases and Air Pollutants in Biomass Energy Production” – Written by Hannah Satein for Oregon Toxics Alliance (PDF file)
- Learn more about biomass’ “double-whammy” impacts to BOTH health and global warming! Research Bibliography (PDF file)
Other sources
- Human Health Effects of Biomass Incinerators – Congressional Briefing September 25, 2012
- Biomass Briefing, October 2009 (PDF document from Massachusetts Environmental Energy Alliance)
- Background resources page prepared by Massachusetts Environmental Energy Alliance
History of our involvement with the siting of Seneca’s Bioenergy facility in West Eugene
On November 10, 2009, Oregon Toxics Alliance filed a Contested Case Hearing appeal under Oregon Revised Statutes Section 183. Specific issues that had been consistently contested by the public led to the filing of the appeal; namely, that the facility:
- will not be using the best available pollution control technology;
- is not required to produce timely, consistent and adequate reporting of its emissions;
- is not properly regulated under the Clean Air Act and the 1994 Executive Order 12898 on Environmental Justice;
- that residents in the neighborhoods located in West Eugene and Northwest Eugene will suffer irreparable injury from the issuance of the permit and the operation of the power plant.