Shelton Blog: April 2011

Saturday, April 30, 2011

Shelton Underground

Who can correctly guess where in Shelton this is?

Even though the Adage project had its opponents, they were a small minority, Sheldon says

Development Deterrent

Washington County biomass moratorium quashes project.

In late December, the board of commissioners in Thurston County, Wash., adopted a one-year moratorium on permitting new biomass power facilities to give them time to investigate environmental concerns surrounding biomass energy. In particular, the sustainability of sourcing wood debris and airborne emission levels from the conversion process.

The decision was influenced by local opposition groups who were protesting area biomass projects, including Evergreen State College’s biomass gasification plant and Adage LLC’s 55-megawatt (MW) power plant in Mason County. Adage’s project was cancelled, but not because of opposition or permitting challenges, according to the company. However, Evergreen’s project was derailed largely because of the moratorium.

Evergreen, which already purchases all of its electricity from renewable resources, still uses natural gas for heat. Several years ago, to meet its goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2020, the college began exploring options to replace natural gas. After investigating several renewable options, it was determined that biomass gasification had the best potential to meet the desired criteria. In the fall of 2010, Evergreen’s Sustainability Task Force began conducting a feasibility study.

Though the study has yet to be completed, the project is off the table. In a letter to the college administration, the university’s Sustainability Council Chair Steve Trotter reported that the project would decline a $3.7 million grant from the Washington Department of Commerce, and withdraw a capital grant request from the state budget process.

Trotter says the task force declined the grant because the moratorium leaves the project unable to proceed for nearly a year, and also leaves the status of future codes and permitting related to biomass too uncertain.

“The decision is not based on the merits of the project itself,” Trotter writes. “We have not yet completed our report, but I can say that our preliminary findings from more than a year of work indicate that the project could meet many of the environmental, operational and economic criteria the college established for a replacement of natural gas for campus heating.”

The project feasibility report (expected to be completed in late April) will not answer every question about biomass gasification, but it should provide a valuable resource to others or to the college should it decide to revisit this proposal in the future, Trotter says.

The moratorium shouldn’t prompt neighboring counties to adopt similar measures, according Tim Sheldon, a Washington state senator and one of three Mason County commissioners, who says he doesn’t think it will affect Mason County, which is just north of Thurston County, at all. “Mason has about one-fifth of the population of Thurston, and only one incorporated city,” he says. “Green Diamond Resources owns about a third of the timberland in Mason County, with the federal government owning the other third and the rest privately owned. It’s got a long wood products history, several large sawmills, and existing biomass [facilities].”

Even though the Adage project had its opponents, they were a small minority, Sheldon says. “The Simpson Timber Co. is planning an expanded biomass project at its mill (the company operates a 31-MW biomass cogeneration plant at its pulp and paper mill in Tacoma, Wash.) and it has already received a determination of nonsignificance by the city of Shelton on its environmental application. I’m hopeful it moves forward, and that it brings new jobs and technology to our timber-dependent county,” he says.

Biomass for Jet Fuel signed into Law, 1,200 opposed Lieth Biomass, Beating up on biomass

Biomass-to-jet fuel and Community Forest Trust bills signed into ...
By Ear to the Ground
Slash and residue from timber harvests and saw mill operations could supply
biomass for alternative fuel projects. Photo: DNR. Governor Chris Gregoire
this afternoon signed into law two bills requested by Commissioner of
Public Lands ...
http://washingtondnr.wordpress.com/2011/04/29/biomass-to-jet-fuel-and-community-forest-trust-bills-signed-into-law-today/

Ruling that biomass facility is too expensive sends We Energies, Domtar
scrambling
Wausau Daily Herald
Biomass material is scooped up March 30 to be loaded into the boiler at the
Domtar paper mill in Rothschild. / Wausau Daily Herald File Photo The
state's Public Service Commission objected this week to the facility's $255
million price tag and ...
http://www.wausaudailyherald.com/article/20110430/WDH0101/104300532/Ruling-biomass-facility-too-expensive-sends-We-Energies-Domtar-scrambling

Beating Up on Biomass
Biomass Power and Thermal
By Lisa Gibson | April 29, 2011 Ever the biomass bullies, opposition groups
in Massachusetts are continuing their organized efforts to stymie
development in the commonwealth, this time asking for a three-year
moratorium on biopower. ...
http://biomassmagazine.com/articles/5472/beating-up-on-biomass/

1200 sign up to oppose Leith biomass site
Scotsman
NEARLY 1200 people have signed a petition against plans for a controversial
biomass plant in Leith. Forth Energy hopes to get permission to build the
facility, which would be powered by woodchip from North America or
Scandinavia, on Edinburgh's ...
http://news.scotsman.com/environment/1200-sign-up-to-oppose.6760291.jp

Prepping Biomass for World Dominance or at Least Healthy Growth
Biomass Power and Thermal
By Rona Johnson | April 29, 2011 I hope you are in St. Louis and reading
this issue between panel sessions at the 2011 International Biomass
Conference & Expo. As I prepare to leave for my trip to St. Louis, I can't
help thinking about all of the ...
http://biomassmagazine.com/articles/5466/prepping-biomass-for-world-dominance-or-at-least-healthy-growth/

Big Biomass
Biomass Power and Thermal
European energy provider Dalkia recently commissioned the largest biomass
combined-heat-and-power plant in France. Its co-location with a paper mill
provides a number of beneficial exchanges between the two operations. By
Lisa Gibson | April 29, ...
http://www.biomassmagazine.com/articles/5484/big-biomass

Biomass Plane Fuel Bill Signed
Newstalk 1450 KBKW
Large majorities in both houses of the 2011 Washington Legislature passed
the residual forest biomass-to-jet fuel bill, which was signed into law
today by Governor Chris Gregoire. House Bill 1422 authorizes the Washington
State Department of Natural ...
http://kbkw.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=2638

Ethanol Producers Embrace Biomass Power and Thermal
Biomass Power and Thermal
Whether producing power from a biomass boiler, gasifier or anaerobic
digester, or installing heat exchangers to utilize waste heat, it's all
about reducing the amount of natural gas used per gallon of ethanol
produced. Second only to feedstock costs, ...
http://www.biomassmagazine.com/articles/5488/ethanol-producers-embrace-biomass-power-and-thermal

District Energy on Campus
Biomass Power and Thermal
Biomass district heating and cooling could save most college campuses lots
of money and it fits well with green initiatives, but these projects
require rigorous planning and up-front capital costs are high. By Anna
Austin | April 29, 2011 Budgets are ...
http://www.biomassmagazine.com/articles/5486/district-energy-on-campus

Standardized Analytical Methods for Biomass Fuel Characterization
Biomass Power and Thermal
By Carolyn Nyberg | April 29, 2011 As the US power industry prepares to
comply with potential regulations for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, many
are considering biomass fuels as an option to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2)
or to meet renewable fuel ...
http://biomassmagazine.com/articles/5469/standardized-analytical-methods-for-biomass-fuel-characterization/

Friday, April 29, 2011

What is the Border Patrol doing on Washington's Olympic Peninsula?

What is the Border Patrol doing on Washington's Olympic Peninsula?

For full version of the following story and more information of conditions on the Olympic Peninsula, follow this link: http://www.bpfree.org/thestory.html

"While the Department of Homeland Security has told us that they are expanding their presence on the Olympic Peninsula to make us safer—that their primary objective is to stop terrorism and to stem the flow of illegal goods across our borders—their activities tell a different story...

Instead, checkpoints began appearing throughout our region, in places that have no connection with any 'border' or international point of entry—at the Water Street ferry to Keystone, on our highways, and at the Hood Canal Bridge. (Shelton Blog note: and on Forest Service Road 23 in Shelton) Activities were directed away from our most vulnerable areas; enormous resources were put into stopping everyone using our highways. Raids began occurring in our immigrant communities. These violations of our civil liberties and targeting of minorities are occurring further and further inland, far from border areas."

ON MAY 1, 2011, in honor of International Workers' Day, join the residents of Port Angeles and communities all throughout the Olympic Peninsula to stand together and say "NO!" to the $8,000,000 Border Patrol station in Port Angeles! STOP the Border Patrol stakeouts at schools and colleges! "NO!" to Border Patrol expansion, "YES!" to Medicare funding! STOP attacks on workers and unions! Cut war spending and fund social services! Use tax money for Social Security, NOT Homeland Security! Fund education, NOT detention centers and ICE raids! Close corporate tax loopholes and tax the wealthy! BE THERE: 2 pm - 4 pm at the intersection of East First & Penn Street, Port Angeles, Washington.
Sponsored by: http://www.stopthecheckpoints.com/

JOIN US! Bridges Not Walls' carpool will be departing the Olympia Rafah Solidarity Mural (corner of State Ave. and Capitol Way in downtown Olympia) at 11:30 am, this Sunday, May 1st! Bring signs, noisemakers, drums, banners and make good use of your free speech rights! Let us know if you're coming or if you are able to drive by contacting Jamie at jamie.alwine@gmail.com or 503.970.3399. Also, check out our Facebook event page and invite your friends! http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=169607016426477

"Biomass" in the news today

Biomass squirting

The Largest Biomass Conference Is Coming to St. Louis
Marketwire (press release)
LOUIS, MO--(Marketwire - Apr 29, 2011) - BBI International's 4 th annual
International Biomass Conference & Expo, the world's largest and fastest
growing biomass conference, is taking place in St. Louis, MO, May 2-5, 2011
at America's Center. ...
http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/the-largest-biomass-conference-is-coming-to-st-louis-1508044.htm

PSC says biomass plan too expensive
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
We Energies is proposing to construct a power plant that would burn wood
chips and other forms of biomass to produce electricity for the energy grid
and steam for an adjacent Domtar Corp. paper mill in Rothschild, a suburb
of Wausau. ...
http://www.jsonline.com/business/120929644.html

Learning from Austria's Biomass Thermal Success Story
Biomass Power and Thermal
Austria's renewable energy policies and biomass thermal technologies are a
model the US could follow in reducing its reliance on petroleum fuels. http://www.biomassmagazine.com/articles/5464/learning-from-austriaundefineds-biomass-thermal-success-story

Biomass electrical generation facility approved near South Boston
Daily Journal
The State Corporation Commission has approved an application for the
construction of a biomass electric generating facility in Halifax County.
South Boston Energy LLC will use wood byproducts to generate electricity at
the 50-megawatt plant and sell it ...
http://www.dailyjournal.net/view/story/5a1b6979c1ec4c64aeae1e952402b9a5/VA--Biomass-Plant/

Wyden promotes help for timber payments, biomass, salmon
Oregon Natural Resources Report
The Coos Bay World reported that Ron Wyden was optimistic about several
natural resource issues including county timber payments, biomass and
salmon help. Here is what the Coos Bay World reported: “The best hope for
reauthorizing federal payments to ...
http://naturalresourcereport.com/2011/04/wyden-promotes-help-for-timber-payments-biomass-salmon/

Burgeoning Biomass Importer
Biomass Power and Thermal
Biomass is sure to play a significant role in the UK's energy portfolio as
about 163 biomass power stations—ranging from 1 to 400 megawatt hours of
capacity—are either in operation, under construction or awaiting
approval. By Huw Kidwell | April 28, ...
http://biomassmagazine.com/articles/5462/burgeoning-biomass-importer/

Some towns in interior Alaska sold on the use of biomass as affordable
energy ...
The Republic
AP FAIRBANKS, Alaska — Some interior villages and towns are leading the
way on biomass as an affordable energy source. The Fairbanks Daily
News-Miner says community leaders shared what they know about using biomass
with about 200 attendees Wednesday ...
http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/32db95ee78024b35995b2f02bce69e01/AK--Village-Biomass/

2011 International Biomass Conference
RenewableEnergyWorld.com
NAES Project Manager Henry Scheck has been selected to present at the 2011
International Biomass Conference & Expo. Join Henry as he presents
Improving Thermal Performance at a Biomass Power Plant Yields More Than
Just a Better Heat Rate on Tuesday, ...
http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/partner/naes-corporation/events/2011-international-biomass-conference-expo

World fish stocks said improved
UPI.com
SEATTLE, April 28 (UPI) -- Researchers at the University of Washington say
a new method for measuring biomass shows worldwide fish stocks are more
stable than previously thought. Lead researcher Trevor Branch and his team,
writing in Conservation ...
http://www.upi.com/Science_News/2011/04/28/World-fish-stocks-said-improved/UPI-66241304036469/