Incinerators as "green" energy (RE: Working Assets Hypocrisy)

[Mike Ewall <catalyst@envirolink.org>]

At 05:28 PM 6/24/1999 -0400, Campbell, Jon wrote:
>     Thanks for posting this. I had wondered about Green Mountain.
>Biomass...hmmm...is that trash or sludge or trees...landfill gas has vinyl
>chloride monomer in it, and is surely a dioxin generator.

Toxic sludge, animal factory wastes, construction and demolition wood
wastes, agricultural wastes, tires and even municipal solid waste (MSW)
incineration can all qualify as renewable "biomass."  Cutting down trees to
burn them for green energy (and all in the name of fighting global warming)
is also included.  Burning contaminated landfill gas is one of the main
technologies being used by these "green" energy corporations and EPA's
Landfill "Methane" Outreach Program helps by promoting such technologies.

The only qualification is that energy from MSW incineration has been banned
for green energy sales in the Pennsylvania market by the Green-e Advisory
Board for that state.  However, unless it's banned in other states (once
they complete deregulation), the incinerators in Pennsylvania can have
their energy sold to these other states as "green."  Pennsylvania has two
of the nation's worst garbage incinerators (both in poor, black
communities).  One is in Chester (4th largest in the nation) and the other
is in Harrisburg (largest dioxin emitting garbage burner in the nation).

There is currently a fight in the state of Delaware against a corporation
(Philpower) which want to build a wood waste "biomass co-generation
facility" (incinerator) and they are marketing themselves to the community
as "green energy" which will somehow clean up the air in the area.  There
are also proposals in the area (in Maryland, but near Delaware) for chicken
shit incinerators.

THIS HAS TO STOP.  That's why this boycott of bogus green energy marketers
is so important.  The government on the state and federal level has been
allowing incineration to be considered "renewable" and many of the
mainstream environmental groups are playing along with this (even Public
Citizen's Ratepayers for Affordable Green Energy campaign, surprisingly).
Now that so many states are deregulating their electric utility industry,
we're going to feel the impact of this on many communities where
incinerator proposals are going to be masquerading as "green energy power
plants."

To check the status of electric utility deregulation in your state, visit:
http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/electricity/chg_str/regmap.html

You don't have to be in California or Pennsylvania to join the boycott of
the leading "biomass as green energy" marketer, Green Mountain.  Contact
pen@penweb.org if you're interested.

Mike Ewall
Pennsylvania Environmental Network
http://www.penweb.org