I agree, the EIR is an important document to complete; however, the project description as stated on the Liberty Energy permit application is falsified. It states that it is a biomass power plant. However, that is far from the truth. First, the main thing that will be incinerated at the proposed plant is biosolids [which is very different than biomass]. Moreover, it is not a power plant it is an incinerator and therefore needs to jump through different “hoops” and an EIR will have to address a whole host of other issues. Liberty Energy was caught in the act of lying in Ontario, Canada.

“An Ontario government decision last month forced Liberty Energy to re-start the environmental assessment of the company’s proposed Strathearne Avenue incinerator, leading the company to issue a formal “notice of commencement” for the new environmental process last week, and bitterly note the Ontario government’s requirement that “the entire environmental screening process must be performed again”. In 2005, the provincial environment ministry had allowed the company to define its incinerator as an electricity project because Liberty expects up to 10 megawatts will be produced for sale to the Ontario grid. This classification was hotly disputed by opponents who argued that the real purpose of the project is to collect lucrative fees from municipalities trying to dispose of their sewage sludge.” http://hamiltoncatch.org/view_article.php?id=148

Such is the case with the Liberty XX proposal. Therefore, the EIR process needs to start all over again if it is to be done correctly and adequately scientifically review the TRUE nature of the project.

But what’s the big deal? Why would Liberty want to market it as a power plant/ renewable energy? Hmmm…let’s see…because there is great money is to be made by the company and its investors [you know who you are….and I’ll find out soon enough] in carbon offset credits [emission reduction credits]. The CA Attorney General, Brown, has called for a warning against companies trying to make money in this program by committing fraud by marketing their projects as renewable energy and or having the capabilities to be used as a facility to offset carbon. http://ag.ca.gov/newsalerts/release.php?id=1520

It is time for the Attorney General to take a look at this project because the facility is an incinerator and needs to be environmentally evaluated as such.<br><br>Post edited by: mglopez, at: 2008/02/10 07:06