Articles/Commentary:
TOP NEWS Story (Sept. 27, 2011):
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
- 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
- OTA 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)
- Biomass Briefing, October 2009 (PDF document from Massachusetts Environmental Energy Alliance)
- Background resources page prepared by Massachusetts Environmental Energy Alliance
History of OTA’s 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.
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On November 6, 2009, OTA filed an appeal under the rules governing the Lane Regional Air Protection Agency to ask the LRAPA Board to reconsider the air permit to the Seneca Biomass Plant. The Board will decide if they will consider our appeal, or not. The appeal is a public document. You may contact OTA if you would like to help us pursue our goal of ensuring the strongest air pollution controls and protecting public health under LRAPA’s permitting process for new industries in Lane County.
November 6th 2009 Press Release
See OTA’svideo presentation about the proposed Seneca biomass power plant
See the Oregon Toxics Alliance web site
