Energy System Opposition On The Front Burner

Friday, March 21, 2008 10:44 AM

Prince George, B.C. - The Millar Addition Citizen’s Coalition has started gathering names on a petition aimed at stopping the construction of a community energy system in the downtown of Prince George. MACC says the petition will be available at numerous businesses in the downtown for people to sign and show their support for cleaner air.

Meantime, PACHA (People’s Committee for Healthy Air) has joined up with the Millar Addition Citizen’s Coalition and is encouraging City Council to support the concept of creating a separate zoning for the proposed Bio-Mass District Energy System.

The issue landed in front of Council this past week when Councillor Debora Munoz tabled a notice of motion that calls for removal of this type of industrial use from the current zoning, thus requiring a site-specific zoning to be developed. The motion also calls for an extensive public consultation process in regards to the location and other options prior to making a final decision on the project. The City has been severely criticized for the total lack of information and public discussion about what is being planned for the proposed downtown site.

“The cumulative environmental and health impacts from this facility within our already compromised airshed are too significant to ignore direct public input into the issue. Having a site specific zoning for this type of use would require a public hearing which at least would give residents of the City a say in the proposed project” says John Rex, MACC Spokesperson. “Council has recently supported the concept of site-specific zoning for asphalt plants and we are requesting the same treatment for this energy plant.”

“We’ve heard loud and clear across the community that air quality must improve,” says PACHA spokesperson Betty Bekkering. “We have one of the worst airsheds in the country and the bottom line is this facility will add additional fine particulate at a time when we should be focused on improvements.”

PACHA and MACC representatives will be attending the Council meeting on March 31st to see how this critical issue is dealt with as it is likely the most significant item that Council has dealt with in the past decade.

The Millar Addition Citizen’s Coalition was launched a few weeks ago after it was finally made public as to where and what the City was planning with respect to the District Energy System. The plant is proposed for east Queensway, just a hundred metres from an elementary school, daycare, church and residential subdivision that is home to so many young families and seniors that already have respiratory problems.

The combined support of PACHA and MACC represent over 1,200 citizens who support the call for putting the brakes on this project and for improving the City’s air quality.

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Posted on Friday, March 21, 2008 10:44 AM in News by 250 News

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Comments

Posted by: Harbinger on March 21 2008 11:29 AM

I can't picture hizzoner saying to the senior levels of government, "Uh, here is your money back. The great unwashed here in my town don't want no stinkin' power plant in the bowl. Can we keep this dough for a non-polluting Performing Arts Centre instead? It don't stink. Gotta go now, gotta catch a plane. Bye"

Posted by: Bridge on March 21 2008 12:09 PM

As yet the City does not have the money. The federal contribution will require an envirnmental review and unless we get on board and let the Feds know that we are not in favor of the increased polution the project will contribute to our air shed it could just be a formality.

Lets get out to the council meeting on March 31 and support those on council that will be agianst this project. Lets get out and showm some community spirit. And you don't have to give a thousnad word dialouge to let council know you are against their hair brained idea. An aye or naye will do.

Cheers

Posted by: Foo738 on March 21 2008 12:30 PM

Except you don't get a vote Bridge. Join PACHA if you aren't already a member. I am not sure if we can sign the Millar Addition petition as don't reside there but then again we are all citizens so we should be able to.

Posted by: Foo738 on March 21 2008 12:31 PM

PS Go to the meeting too!!!!!

Posted by: flowerchild on March 21 2008 1:01 PM

Although the folks in Millar Addition are the ones who have started the petition, this is about the Prince George airshed... we ALL have a stake in this! The impact on air quality won't be just to the Millar Addition, it will impact all of us!
sign the petition! Let Council know that you,as a resident of PRINCE GEORGE, don't want the air quality compromised any further!

Posted by: owl on March 21 2008 1:15 PM

I agree about the petition. It needs to be available throughout the City.

If the group does not make it availabe and promotes it throughout the city, they run the danger of this being seen as just another NIMBY group.

Posted by: bohemian on March 21 2008 4:09 PM

Better yet, make the petition available online, and easy to invite one's friends to sign.

There's lots of free services, like this one:

http://www.petitionspot.com/

Posted by: TaxpayerPG on March 21 2008 4:20 PM

This is a Prince George wide issue, not a Millar Addition issue. The people who are initiating this petition have made it clear that this is not in any way a NIMBY petition. They want all of PG involved as we all breathe the air, so let's get out and show our support at the March 31 council meeting. Any PG citizen can sign the petition. Everybody needs to educate their friends/associates on this proposal and bring 10 friends to the meeting. Let's show them that we have had enough of the Old Boys Club calling the shots in regards to our health.

Posted by: Honestjoe on March 21 2008 5:10 PM

What are the thoughts about a referendum, on this matter, at the November civic election?

Posted by: Hindsight on March 21 2008 6:09 PM

Good point Honestjoe...in other communities aren't major taxpayer funded projects usually decided by referendum? I can't remember ever having one in P.G.. Probably becaue most would no pass would be my guess.

Posted by: Hindsight on March 21 2008 6:12 PM

also...how about a referendum on the Performing Arts Center?

Posted by: thereasonableman on March 21 2008 8:34 PM

Isn't this thing dead yet ?

Posted by: robichal on March 21 2008 8:53 PM

I think this entire project is a "no brainer", apparently we have the worst air quality in BC and the the 3rd worst in the entire country - WOW, that's something to be proud of!! Why would they even consider 1) putting more fine particulate into our already poor air AND
2) adding another "eyesore" in downtown PG! Isn't it ugly enough without having to view stacks pumping smoke/steam or whatever it will be emitting into our air? I can't even believe it made it off the table. Wake city council and use your heads for once!!

Posted by: diplomat on March 22 2008 9:35 AM

The City keeps saying that the planned bio-energy plant would remove 2,200 tonnes of greenhouse gases. This is correct, but that is not the whole story!

Combustion gases from renewable resources are classified as NOT being greenhouse gases, in other words carbon neutral.

Let there be no misunderstanding: the emissions from the plant will still be *gases* like before, they will be gases of a different classification compared to the non-renewable natural gas or oil that are presently burned to heat the buildings.

There will be no *removal* - just a re-classification.

Posted by: Inquazar on March 23 2008 12:27 PM

You know, I read the articles and opinions here as regularly as my time permits. The one constant I have noticed seems to be that, generally we are dissatisfied with how PG, and the world around us is evolving. We complain, we sign petitions, we go to meetings and voice our opinions, but, we really don�t offer up any viable alternatives. I haven�t seen many here.. Why, maybe because we don�t want to get slammed for not supporting our local Economy, lets face it, Biomass energy in PG = loggers back to work. Is it the right thing to do?,, how can it be? Emitting any sort of exhaust into an already infamous air shed is just plain stupid. But, Do you really think a petition is going to change the minds of the powers that be,, (See: Biomass energy in PG=loggers back to work) not likely.

So, what can we do? Well, we could make alternative public suggestions with out being worried about how we will be received,, or Compensated.

OK, here�s free one (and yup,, I�m probably going to regret making it).

We are currently building bridges (Simon Fraser Twinning, Camron Street, supposedly in the near future), those bridges require supports embedded in the river beds, those rivers flow past those supports constantly, what if you build Venturies into those supports, mount a turbine in the venturi, attach a generator to the turbine, etc.,,. I will let you imagine the rest.

I�m not saying it�s �Cost Effective�Idea, I�m not saying there isn�t some engineering hurtles that would need to be addressed,,,, Is it viable?? I don�t know,, But it is a zero emissions �green� alternative,, And I�m only one person!