* Green Bay Gasification Incinerator – Environmental, Health, and Economic Issues

The citizens of Green Bay are fighting a proposed pyrolysis gasification incinerator.  Here’s a report from their efforts. Many of these same issues will apply to the ReVenture 10 MW gasification incinerator. Read their concerns below:

Environmental, Health, and Economic Issues – Green Bay Gasification Incinerator

Currently, the Oneida Seven Generation Corporation is proposing to build a $23 million, 60,000-square-foot biomass plant that would use incineration labeled pyrolysis gasification to reduce trash to ash and which hopes to generate 5 megawatts of power each day to be sold to Wisconsin Public Service. This plant would be located at 1230 Hurlbut Street in the City of Green Bay. Affected communities include: Hobart, Ashwaubenon, Howard, De Pere, Allouez, Bellevue, Green Bay & Ledgeview.

The IFBC believes trash incineration schemes bring the following impacts for everyone in Brown County:

ENVIRONMENTAL

1. Fly-ash contamination of air, soil and water from toxic dioxins, mercury, lead, heavy metals, carbon dioxide and other pollutants will be introduced into the surrounding environment.
2. Up to 1330 pounds of toxic fly ash discharged every day creating an extensive fall out hot zone well beyond Lambeau Field.
3. Tons of remaining incinerated ash containing the above elements that still needs to have a safe disposal location identified.

HEALTH

1. Harmful substances in garbage “fly-ash” can be lethal, causing cancer, heart attacks, strokes, birth defects, asthma and pulmonary disease
2. Fly ash toxins enter the food supply and concentrate up through the food chain
3. Incinerator workers and people living within 20 miles of incinerators are at particularly high risk

ECONOMIC

Contamination from this incinerator may force relocation of new and existing businesses and residents and reduce the tax base. More of tax dollars will be needed to replace these lost tax dollars. Incineration is a very expensive means of destroying valuable resources, burning much-needed recycling jobs, and producing minimal electricity. This incinerator scheme brings the following economic impacts for everyone:

1. Plummeting property values = higher taxes for everyone else
2. Capital intensive and high risk operations, high clean up costs, low profit margins
3. Wasteful misallocation of unspent state and federal stimulus money

http://biomass.ashwaubenon.com/