Big Boys Must Bend For Bio Energy
By 250 News
BC Forest Minister Rich Coleman says he is hoping the major forest tenure holders like Canfor and West Fraser will either go into partnership with companies trying to establish Bio Energy power production or will "willingly" give up the tenure they hold on that forest.
The Forest Minister made the comment in the wake of the BC Hydro call for bio-energy production ideas using mountain pine beetle debris.
Asked if the Provincial government would be prepared to act to change the manner in which forest tenures are held to allow smaller independent power producers to access this wood, Minister Coleman replied "Yes." "We believe we have the ability at present to allow a second company to go onto that forest tenure as it now sits" says Coleman. He adds that he believes some of the majors will team up with the small power producers to access the wood fiber.
The expression of interest in the bio energy, which would use beetle wood, wood waste from the forest floor and residue from the forest operations, is open until April 17th of this year.
Minister of Energy, Richard Neufeld, says the government believes it would be easy to achieve 5,000 to 6,000 MWH’s of power in this manner (fibre fuelled bio-energy) and perhaps as high as 10,000 MWH "When you compare that to the 50 to 80 MWH’s that Alcan was set to sell to BC Hydro, you can see just how major this energy source will be." says Neufeld.
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So let me see if I have this correct.
The minister wants those licensees who have generally complied with regulations pertaining to plant emissions by not only staying within permitted tonnage released every year, but have actually put in improved technology over time, have complied with beehive burner shut downs and continue to work with improving Sustainable Forest Management practices by putting in expensive compliance auditing and public oversight committees …… he wants those licensee to give them access to their feedstock so that they can set up plants which exceed permitted emissions by 6 fold.
Is that what he wants?
Or does he want to make sure that those plants that are going to be part of the new 21st century green plan to lead the way by cutting emissions down to levels available to those who wish to do business in this “green” age which is a level so low most did not think it was possible to achieve? Will he be requiring them to be transporting the feedstock from the woods using low polluting fuels instead of high polluting diesel?
Please tell us what the Ministry and this government really wants and what it will cost our health and our environment. Will it appear to be green, when it is actually black?