Safe Energy: Recent Postings
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Citizens Applaud Court’s Rejection
Of Sampson County’s
Motion To Dismiss Fibrowatt Zoning Complaint
Feb. 17, 2010 (Clinton, NC) The members of Citizens for a Safe Environment, a
chapter of the Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League, will
proceed with their lawsuit against Sampson County following a
Superior Court decision on Monday. In ruling against Sampson
County’s motion to dismiss the group’s complaint, the
court said that Citizens for a Safe Environment has sufficient
standing, has provided evidence of both unlawful “spot
zoning” and contract zoning, and that allegations of
capricious and arbitrary actions by the county are sufficient for
the case to move forward. Read BREDL Press Release
CACHE releases response regarding poultry litter set-aside
Jan. 9, 2010: CACHE (Citizens’ Alliance for a Clean, Healthy Economy) today released their response to Surry County Commissioners Chairman Craig Hunter’s rebuttal testimony to the North Carolina Utilities Commission opposing a request by Duke Power and Progress Energy to delay the poultry litter set-aside in General Statute 62-133-8 (f).
Read CACHE Press Release
Fibrowatt Flunks Major Tests In
Minnesota
League Challenges North Carolina Regulators and Calls for
Hearings
Dec. 22, 2009: Today in letters
mailed to state officials the Blue Ridge Environmental Defense
League challenged North Carolina’s environmental and
utilities regulators to consider major permit violations at a
poultry litter incinerator in Minnesota before allowing similar
projects to proceed. The plant’s operator, Fibrowatt LLC,
wants to build three more incinerators in North Carolina to burn
poultry waste. A settlement agreement between Fibrowatt and the
state of Minnesota was released to the League December 17.
BREDL Press Release | Settlement
Agreement between Fibrowatt and
Minnesota |
Dec. 21, 2009 Minnesota Pollution Control Agency Press Release |
Fibrominn Violations FAQ
Dec. 3, 2009: Today at a press conference in
Chester, the Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League released a
new report on toxic air pollution impacts from the Covanta
incinerator proposed for Chester County. The study shows that
poisonous air emissions would be deposited more than six miles
away from the facility. Read BREDL Press Release |
BREDL Technical Report: Toxic Air
Pollution Impacts from the proposed Covanta Energy Chester County
WTE Project
The League comments on new 60
MW unadulterated wood-fired boiler in Hertford County, NC
Nov. 30, 2009: BREDL comments on North Carolina Division of Air
Quality’s preliminary determination that a construction and
operation permit can be issued to Hertford Renewable Energy for a
new 60 MW unadulterated wood-fired boiler in Hertford County.
Read BREDL Comments
League comments on Duke Energy
Request for Rate Increase
Sept. 15, 2009: BREDL opposes Duke Energy’s
request for authority to increase the rates charged to the 1.8
million customers in their service area. Read BREDL
comments
League Files Motion to Delay
Poultry Litter Incinerators
Sept. 3, 2009: In papers filed Wednesday with the
North Carolina Utilities Commission, the Blue Ridge Environmental
Defense League and three of its community chapters moved to delay
and modify a contentious provision of the state’s renewable
energy law. Citizens for a Safe Environment (Duplin County),
Citizens Alliance for a Clean Healthy Environment (Surry County),
and Sampson County Citizens for a Safe Environment (Sampson
County) joined the League in filing the motion. Their motion to
intervene asks the Commission to indefinitely delay the use of
poultry waste to generate electricity. The poultry waste
requirement, or, “set-aside”, was included in the 2007
legislation adopting renewable energy standards for North
Carolina.
BREDL Press Release
Community Groups Motion to Intervene | Community
Groups Response
Deadline for
these sign-on letters was Midnight September 16, 2009. They will be
mailed on September 17, 2009. Thanks to all who signed.
BREDL
Sign-on Letter Please sign on to our
letter urging the North Carolina Utilities Commission to adopt a
poultry waste " time-out " and make use of the
opportunity to consider the implications of using poultry waste
to generate electricity.
BREDL Sign-on Letter Please
sign on to our letter urging NC GreenPower to remove the
incineration of poultry litter and other types of litter from the
green energy program.
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BREDL staffer David Mickey poses with the BIOMASS MONSTER
at the Southern Energy and Environment Expo in Asheville, NC.
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Aug. 25, 2009: BREDL’s “BIOMASS MONSTER” - a hit at NC Energy Expo: An unexpected guest showed up at the Southern
Energy & Environment Expo in Asheville, NC, last
weekend. No, it wasn’t Roxy, Sue’s 10-year-old pit bull
who went along for the ride. Instead, it was the BIOMASS MONSTER
that attracted lots of stares – and smiles - from both the
exhibitors, and those attending the Expo. Read Full Article
More info: BREDL Biomass Factsheet
Aug. 14, 2009: BREDL comments on TVA's
Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement; Integrated Resource
Plan - Most of the electric power in TVA’s service area
is provided by coal and nuclear power: fossil-fuel about 60%;
nuclear power about 30%. Methane gas burning is included under
TVA’s Green Power Switch. These three are critically flawed
forms of power generation with limited futures. TVA should adopt
an energy plan which promotes clean, renewable energy sources
including wind and solar, adopt a comprehensive program of energy
conservation and efficiency, phase out its nuclear and coal
plants and rule out burning of garbage, animal manure, and other
waste materials. Read BREDL
Comments
Two recent Op-ed pieces about Fibrowatt
by BREDL staff:
June 13, 2009: Op-ed by Janet
Marsh in the Mt. Airy News
June 26, 2009: Op-ed by David
Mickey in The Sampson Independent
May 26, 2009: League Ups the Ante in
Poultry Manure Incinerator Debate - Today in a letter to
a powerful North Carolina legislator, the Blue Ridge
Environmental Defense League called for full disclosure of the
violations and enforcement actions against the Fibrominn poultry
manure incinerator in Benson, Minnesota. BREDL Press
Release | May
26 letter to Rep. Pricey Harrison
May 7, 2009: League Urges Duke
Shareholders to Reject Poultry Litter Incineration -
Today at Duke Energy’s annual meeting in Charlotte, members
of the Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League asked shareholders
to question the company about electricity from poultry waste. The
group distributed a handout describing poultry litter as dirtier
than coal, more expensive than wind, and litter incineration as
an economic threat to farmers. BREDL Press
Release | BREDL
May 7 Handout at Duke Energy meeting
May 6, 2009: League Opens Fire on Fibrowatt - Today
at a press conference in Elkin, the Blue Ridge Environmental
Defense League released a stunning report showing that the
proposed Fibrowatt manure incinerator would deposit dangerous
levels of poisons up to six miles from the plant site. The report
concludes that the incinerator would contaminate the surrounding
area with arsenic, chromium, mercury and other pollutants. More
info: BREDL Press
Release | BREDL
Modeling Report | May 11 Forum Flyer
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