On Wednesday, the Henniker Zoning Board will hear Laidlaw Power's request for a variance to construct a power plant in Henniker.
One test for granting a variance is whether the proposed development will serve the public interest. In this case, the answer is clearly "no."
The 80-foot smokestack, visible from much of Henniker, will be an eyesore, detracting from the quaint, small-town aesthetics that draw people to Henniker and students to New England College. The emissions will smell bad and may be hazardous.
What most concerns me most, however, is the prospect of 40-plus tractor-trailer trucks per day going in and out of the plant to transport the 200,000 tons of wood they expect to burn per year. Those trucks will further compromise the safety on a road already dubbed Death Alley.
Laidlaw proponents try to seduce us with their talk of reducing dependence on foreign oil. They tout this power plant as "green" energy, at a time when there is increased environmental sensitivity and the price of gasoline is astronomical. The reality is that wood-burning plants are not clean or green, and Henniker should not be the testing ground for unproven "clean wood burning" technology. The term "green" was derived from the green of the Earth's tree canopy - the canopy they will be cutting down in order to burn. The only truly green sources of energy are wind and solar power.
This plant will undoubtedly adversely affect neighboring property values. I urge others to contact the zoning board to let members know how you feel about this proposal.
RONI HARDY
Henniker
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Comments
Turn the lights out when you leave
By Anonymous - 08/19/2008 - 8:23 pmAnon & Anon -
Before you cut down the forests to feed the maw of these BioAsinine plants, don't you think it would be even better if people were allowed to erect wind turbines on their land without government interference? Talk about NIMBY. These things only produce clean electricity - no smokestack, no cutting down and burning trees, no resultant erosion, no pollution! But then you really cause the gentry and bureaucrats to get a twist in their knickers (re: Kennedys, Vermont ski area owners, their minions on various zoning and planning boards, ad nauseam).
My bet is the collective economies of New England and a few other NIMBY playgrounds go down in smoke when the oil runs out. Make your travel arrangements by 2050. I hear Iceland is nice this time of year.
- C. dog e. doG
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Laidlaw Energy
By Anonymous - 08/18/2008 - 6:22 pmInformation on Laidlaw Energy can be found on the Berlin NH resident bloggs called "Coos Conversations" and "Byte and Chew". Laidlaw Energy is a "pink sheet" company and has no connections to the transportation company or the waste hauler. They have been in existance for 9 years and do not own or operate any biomass power plant.
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NIMBY Letter
By Anonymous - 08/18/2008 - 11:15 amM. Hardy's letter is typical of the NIMBY (Not In My Backyard) attitude that is bankrupting America - from the gas pump to the lack of workforce housing to the lack of quality jobs. The people in Henniker and Hopkinton need to stop acting like landed gentry and start working to help this state meet its renewable energy needs today and in the future. Wood is one of the oldest and safest sources of energy. M. Hardy's negative characterization of wood energy comes from his/her lack of knowing what s/he is writing about.
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MUST SUPPORT LAIDLAW ENERGY PROJECT FOR GOOD REASONS
By Anonymous - 08/18/2008 - 9:26 amRenewable energy projects are booming left and right in many cities accross the United States and for the good of America. This is what most states and the government are pressing for including Senator Clinton who also shows her support for Laidlaw for a reason. The above excuses hold no water. Try living next to a fertilzer plant. This plant in contrast is renewable and will be good for the city and America. It will create jobs. There is nothing seducing about touting less dependence on foreign oil its a fact that must happen for the better of America and those who dont stand for that are Anti American.
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