The national media is starting to pay attention to the biomass phenomenon. Dozens of plants are being built across the country and the federal government is offering generous subsidies, but as this NPR story today notes, local opposition has also popped up in some cities.
The NPR story focuses much of its attention on two proposed biomass plants in Shelton, Wash., and toward the end of the story, it quotes a forest ecologist for what would seem to be a neutral take on the carbon impact of biomass plants. And yet the ecologist, Steve Hamburg, works for the Environmental Defense Council, an environmental group that can hardly be called neutral on the issue. It would have been more advisable for the reporter to also talk to someone on the other side of the debate, or better yet, a scientific expert with no horse in the race.
What is also interesting about the story is it has generated a large number of comments. One of the comments in particular reinforces the point that while some locals may be opposed to the plants, they are often very small in number and that most locals are happy to have the jobs and boost to the local economy.
Here is what “Alison Henslee” had to say:
One of our two remaining mills (out of 4) has sawdust decomposing in their yard; the smell isn’t pretty. They ship their biomass because we have no local means to dispose of it. Our landfill is already nearly full to the brim; they no longer take wood because they have to burn it on site. Our community used to be supported by loggers and millworkers; environmentalists and the economy have taken that away from us. Our unemployment rate is sky high and people are scrambling to figure out alternative ways to support their families. It’s hard when you are in a rural area and I don’t think some people grasp that…
…I think we should be open-minded and smart about using up biomass resources that are otherwise going to waste. Our county alone could withstand proper forest management for the next century to deal with dying timber due to bug infestation…byproducts of which could be used in a co-gen plant. But for now, here we sit and watch the trees die while there is no work.
Trees dying due to bug infestation is not much of a problem on the Olympic. That is a problem in many areas, but not here. I laughed when I read that we are sitting watching trees die. The timber industry has been dying for sometime now. I worked for the Forest Service for 9 years and Simpson for 12. I was laid off before this Biomass was even talked about.
The dump does take wood. I know I was there a couple of weeks ago. Really there is a wood recycler on Johns Prairie Road where most people in the county go.
The sawdust is shipped from the mill along with the hog fuel and sold. The mills have been running off and on for awhile now, but not because of anything but the crappy housing market. Who do you think buys the lumber…
Environmentalist are not the ones opposing this plant it is many of our local residents in Mason County. My family is 4th generation timber industry, local mills and logging.
I was born in Shelton 45 years ago and no one I know has heard of this name, it isn’t in our local phone book. Who are you, really?
Sorry…I didn’t identify in my comment that I live in northern Idaho…where we DO have bug infestation and where we DO watch trees die and we DO have a lot of employment issues. Was commenting in general on the NPR article…not your area specifically. Sorry to have upset you!!!!
I also had no idea that One Voice would select my comment out of all those submitted and use it out of context re: Shelton, WA! Again, my apologies to any reader for the confusion.