Laidlaw Energy Group, Inc.(fka LLEG)

[Grozny]

03/10/10 Laidlaw to appear before Berlin planning board

http://www.laconiadailysun.com/BerlinPDF/2010/3/10B.pdf

BERLIN — A group representing a cross-section of the
community has put together a list of recommended stipulations
for the proposed Laidlaw Berlin BioPower biomass
plant.
Covering everything from the appearance of the plant to
noise, air, and traffi c issues, the committee reached unanimous
agreement on all but four out of 26 stipulations. Ten of
the stipulations address benefi ts the community is requesting
in exchange for serving as the host community. One major
requested benefi t is a river walk.
The list will be presented to the state Site Evaluation Committee
for it to consider as part of the permitting process for
the 70-megawatt plant.
The SEC will be holding a public hearing on the Laidlaw application in Berlin next Tuesday,
March 16 at 7 p.m. at the junior high
auditorium. A site visit will get underway
at 2 p.m.
Six parties have fi led petitions to
intervene in the SEC proceedings.
They are the city of Berlin, Coos
County Commission, Clean Power
Development, Wagner Forest Management,
Berlin businessman Jonathan
Edwards, and the N.H. Sierra Club.
Laidlaw is objecting to the motions by
Clean Power, Wagner, and Edwards.
The Attorney-General’s offi ce last
week appointed Senior Assistant
Attorney General Allen Brooks to
serve as Counsel for the Public in the
proceedings.
At the March planning board meeting,
City Planner Pamela Lafl amme
reported Laidlaw will present an overview
of the project at the board’s April
meeting. While jurisdiction over the
permitting rests with the state SEC,
Lafl amme said Laidlaw has agreed to
answer questions and hear local concerns.
The Laidlaw Energy Facilities Site
Evaluation Community Advisory
Committee was organized last fall by
AVER Economic Development Director
Max Makaitis, who also chaired
it. Members included city councilors,
local business people, the hospital
administrator, chamber members, and
residents.
Makaitis stressed that the stipulations
are not binding but are recommendations
from the group which
formed last May to identify community
issues and develop stipulations
to address them.
Some key stipulations:
* Physical appearance of plant shall
be at least as attractive as photo simulation
released by Laidlaw.
*All electrical/transmission lines
will be buried underground.
* No wood deliveries on Sundays
and between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. on
weekdays and before 9 a.m. on Saturdays.
* Chipping and barking equipment
will be enclosed and operate in a
soundproof enclosed building.
* All noise must comply with the
city’s noise ordinance.
* The biomass plant will be limited
to burning ‘clean’ wood chips.
* The plant will manage dust by
adhering to best management practices.
* Laidlaw will work with city to
develop safest truck route to facility.
The community also came up with
a list of community benefi ts it would
like to see Laidlaw provide. Topping
the list is a 50-foot green belt along its
entire property except for the common
boundary with North American Dismantling’s
property. Within that green
belt would be a 10-foot wide river
walk along the Androscoggin River.
Laidlaw would build the walk and
provide a permanent easement to the
city which would maintain it. Laidlaw
would also provide a 15-foot easement
long Hutchins and Coos Streets for an
ATV/Snowmobile trail and a 17-space
community parking lot on Community
Street.
The committee is asking that Laidlaw
provide excess heat, hot water,
and/or steam at below market prices
to other companies to encourage
development of their site. The committee
noted Laidlaw already has an
agreement to provide hot water to the
Fraser paper mill.
Laidlaw is being asked to hire local
people and purchase wood locally as
much as possible.
The committee said it was not recommending
Laidlaw be required to
have a decommissioning plan because
Clean Power Development was not
required to have a plan for its proposed
plant in Berlin. While members
were concerned about the potential
of an abandoned plant in the heart of
the city, overall the committee felt it
would put Laidlaw at a competitive
disadvantage.
The committee deferred several
issues to other bodies. While the group
supports upgrading the electrical
transmission system in Coos County,
it noted a legislative committee is currently
studying the matter. It deferred
the question of whether there is suffi
cient wood to support existing and
proposed plants to the SEC and Coos
County Commissioners. The committee
also said it felt concerns about
the subsurface of the site were best
handed by the state Department of
Environmental Service and the SEC
committee.
Makaitis said the group will also present
its recommended stipulations to the
city council and the Coos Commission.