Letter from Benson, MN Citizen to
Winston-Salem newspaper
To the editor:
I read "Avoid playing chicken with state's public health" regarding Fibrowatt being on the hunt in NC to locate three poultry litter incinerators in Montgomery, Sampson and Surry County. Our community of Benson MN has dealt with Fibrowatt and I hope the citizens of NC pay close attention to this important public health issue.
The Fibrowatt/Fibrominn people came to our community after
three larger communities to our east flatly turned them down.
Public Relations was thick on the ground and science and
engineering were only in their imaginations. Politicians traveled to the UK who returned proclaiming it " didn't smell. Some of the
plants in the UK were not operating on the days they were there.
The project in Benson has been operating for two years. There is a stench which varies with the wind direction, humidity, and materials being used. There is also grit which lands on snow and sticks to buildings and vehicles.
Our downtown area has lost much of its on-street parking due to the need for extra turning lanes for trucks which haul litter from as far away as Wisconsin, demolition from the Twin Cities, and wood chips from northern MN. The three plants slated for NC will
generate hundreds of trucks everyday, delivering poultry litter and construction debris from all over the south east.
Please listen to your local people who question this project. They
may present information now available from the Benson project to allow people to realize your air, water, soil, and grandchildren may be in jeopardy.
Sincerely,
Darlene Martinson Ross
Benson Minn.
Date: Wed, 14 Jul 2010 02:07:36 -0700 (PDT)
> From: <stopfibrowatt@yahoo.com>
> Subject: Hart County, Georgia
> To: eric.jenkins@fibrowattusa.com, michael.freeman@fibrowattusa.com,
chuck.wagoner@fibrowattusa.com, terry.walmsley@fibrowattusa.com,
bruce.mcleish@fibrowattusa.com, rupert.fraser@fibrowattusa.com,
carl.strickler@fibrowattusa.com
> Cc: dwayne@hartiba.com, iba@hartcom.net, joeydorsey@yahoo.com,
dreyen@hartcom.net, dcleveland@pinnaclebank.com, bwjohnson83@yahoo.com,
rco@hartcom.net, pwdirector@hartcom.net
>
> The Hartwell Sun reported : "...According to Fibrowatt CEO Rupert Fraser in an interview with Energy Today magazine, the Benson plant burns more than 500,000
tons of turkey litter per year alongside other biomass. In the Southeast, Fraser said the biomass primarily would be chicken litter. Fraser told the magazine that the company's philosophy is to only go where it's invited, though a location near poultry-producing centers is critical. "Our projects bring benefits to the poultry industry and to rural infrastructure, communities and
the environment, which means when elected officials and local community representatives see what we do and talk to the existing neighbors of our projects, they decide they want us as a neighbor," Fraser told the magazine."
Gentlemen of Fibrowatt USA and Hart County:
1. The 18 member focus group of "community representatives" do NOT live near this proposed project, nor do they represent an accurate sampling of Hart County residents.
2. There isn't enough litter for local farmers to purchase to spread now.
3. Buying the litter from farmers at a reduced cost (like your Fibrohills document states $0-3.50 per ton depending on the moisture content) is significantly lower than the $12 those poultry farmers are getting now.
4. Renewable Energy does not necessarily equal clean energy.
5. We are not just concerned about aesthetics, emissions, and the farmer. We are concerned with acid rain, the generation of hazardous waste, the truck traffic
on county and state roads, the extra truck traffic on our interstate highways, the upkeep of the local and state infrastructure, noise, toursim, property values, and a host of others.
6. Mr. Fraser- in the article, you refer to "burning" the litter, not steaming it, not boiling it....but burning it. Merriam-Webster defines: incinerate (verb) to heat to a point that the product turns to ash. I believe that when you use that root word and change it to the noun form, it becomes "incinerator".
7. I find it incredulous that in just the second decade of the 21st century, we cannot find an alternate energy source that does not employ the use of a smokestack that belches emissions and requires permits for acid rain and a fabric filter. Even hepa filters on vacuums and furnaces in homes do not "catch" all fugitve dust emissions- but those are not toxic.
8. I am appealing to the Hart County Commisioners to be heroes to your constituents and vote NO to Fibrowatt/FibroGeorgia.
STOP FIBROWATT IN NE GEORGIA
