EPA will continue to accept public comment, in written form, until Jan. 24.
A public hearing was held at the North Middle School regarding a permit for the proposed natural gas power plant in Westfield's Servistar Way. Here, members of Westfield Concerned Citizens show their opposition to the plant outside the meeting.
WESTFIELD – Armed with surgical masks and hand-made placards drawing attention to clean air, Westfield Concerned Citizens continued their opposition to a proposed 431 megawatt natural gas fired electrical generating plant here Thursday.
The group, which formed shortly after the $400 million plant was proposed in 2008 by Pioneer Valley Energy Center, was among more than 150 people at North Middle School attending a public hearing on a federal Environment Protection Agency pending air quality permit for the plant.
“The mask makes a statement,” said registered nurse Gail S. Bean of Westfield. “The mask prevents toxins from entering the lungs,” she explained while passing out the surgical masks to anyone who indicated support for the concerned citizens group.
Mary Ann Babinski, a founding member of the group, said “We are asking EPA to deny the air quality permit based on evidence we have showing clean energy does not come from a smokestack.”
A public hearing was held at the North Middle School regarding a permit for the proposed natural gas power plant in Westfield's Servistar Way. Babinski said members are asking that EPA require PVEC do a health impact assessment of the plant and its emissions.
But, PVEC project manager Matthew A. Palmer said that assessment has already been made. “It is part of this draft permit that is the subject of tonight’s public hearing,” he said.
Most of those in attendance are Westfield residents and reside in the city’s Northside where construction of the plant is slated. Also, many in attendance were representatives of the various Pioneer Valley construction trade unions, whose employment will be needed for construction of the facility. The crowd was representative of others that have turned out during the past four years at various public hearings and meetings concerning the plant.
The EPA, in the draft permit, has determined that the plant emissions will be below standards of the Clean Air Act.
The EPA will continue to accept written questions and responses from the public until Jan. 24.
Those comments should be addressed to: Donald Dahl, Environmental Engineer, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency - New England, 5 Post Office Square, Suite 100, Attn: OEP05-2, Boston, Ma. 0219-3912.