Energy Program News

Toxic Construction & Debris Wood Power Plants

Hartford- Environment Connecticut, Clean Water Action of Connecticut, Connecticut Fund for The Environment, Environment and Human Health, Inc, Environment Northeast, Rivers Alliance of Connecticut and Toxics Action Center are issuing a joint call upon DEP Commissioner Gina McCarthy to reject all active permit applications submitted by Plainfield Renewable Energy, LLC (PRE) to build a proposed power plant to burn an estimated 500,000 tons per year of toxic wood obtained from construction and demolition projects. 

The proposed Plainfield power plant needs air and water permits from the DEP, and ratepayer subsidy as part of “Project 100,” in order to be built.  A DEP decision is imminent and the DPUC begins a formal hearing process next week to decide whether ratepayers will support the project. 

Private energy developers, including Plainfield Renewable Energy, have successfully lobbied the legislature to corrupt the definition of “Class I renewable energy” to include plants which burn wood scavenged from construction and demolition sites.  There is no oversight or adequate enforcement mechanism to prevent contaminated wood from being burned. 

Air Emissions and Heavy Metals from Proposed Plainfield Plant

“While we make every effort to protect our kids from the health risks of lead paint found on toys imported from China, it’s outrageous that this state is considering to permit a power plant which will burn lead painted wood and dump these toxins into our air and water,” said Roger Smith Campaign Director of Clean Water Action. 

Recently uncovered documents from the project sponsors (see page 3) demonstrate they expect to emit significant quantities of lead, arsenic, chromium, mercury and other toxic heavy metals. Neighboring states have legal or de-facto bans on combustion of this material due to this danger.

“It’s absurd that a power plant could emit 7,200 pounds a year of lead and 1,400 pounds per year of arsenic and be considered a clean energy source,” said Christopher Phelps of Environment Connecticut.  “Over the past few years special interests have successfully lobbied the legislature to reclassify this toxic trash as clean energy.” In addition to pollution escaping from the smokestack, captured toxic ash emissions from the facility will exceed an incredible 144,000 pounds per year of lead and 29,000 pounds per year of arsenic, all of which will be land filled.

"Pressure treated wood, which is no longer allowed for residential uses because of its arsenic toxicity, is extremely difficult to tell from regular wood, and impossible to sort out if it has been painted,” says Nancy Alderman, President of Environment and Human Health, Inc.  “If Connecticut allows this plant to be built, it will introduce into our environment heavy metals, pesticides, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) all of which are harmful to health and many of which are carcinogenic."

"Lead was once a major source of high blood lead levels in humans until it was removed from gasoline. It would be a large mistake for the state to now allow lead and other heavy metals to get back into the air," said David Brown, Sc.D., Public Health Toxicologist for Environment and Human Health, Inc.

Nearby states are banning this type of facility.  “Our work in New Hampshire helped lead to a recent ban on burning the very same type of dirty wood that Connecticut actually subsidizes as clean energy,” said Sylvia Broude, Community organizer with the Toxics Action Center.  “If the DEP and DPUC allow the proposed project in Plainfield to proceed, Connecticut will become a magnet for wood contaminated with lead paint and arsenic treated wood.” 

This project would never be able to withstand a rigorous environmental health review and as a publicly funded project, the Clean Energy Fund should have had to submit this project to a CEPA environmental impacts assessment with full public review and comment.

“We support the development of truly clean biomass power plant projects, and are very concerned that the heavy metals the developer has identified in its proposed permit could undermine biomass as a whole,” noted Curt Johnson, Program Director of Connecticut Fund for the Environment.

Water Impacts

As recently as October 5th Governor Rell issued a formal drought advisory.  Data from gauging stations and eye-witness reports indicate that rivers, including the already impaired Quinebaug, are dangerously low. "There is no way that Plainfield Renewable Energy can remove up to million gallons per day for industrial cooling without further harming this important and much loved river.  This is a misuse of the state's public trust water and DEP should not issue a permit allowing water cooling," said Margaret Miner of Rivers Alliance of CT.  Moreover, under drought conditions, the plant may not be able to operate at all because of impacts on the river.

Legislative Fix Needed

Finally, the state legislature should end the subsidization of construction and demolition wood burning as a “Class I” renewable resource.  They should instead support programs to recycle and reuse truly clean construction materials and ensure that the contaminated portion stays out of power plants and incinerators.  Twenty years ago Connecticut’s environmental organizations and public officials successfully joined forces to reject a similar construction wood burning plant proposed in Killingly and made it illegal to burn construction and demolition wood.  It’s time to undo recent legislative changes by special interests and keep “clean energy” clean.

###