Biomass is a derivative of farm crops, wood chips, paper mills. It is heated to produce a gas. This gas is burned, creating heat that fuels a “turbine.” This turbine attaches to a generator to make electricity. Left-over hot gas is used to produce steam, also feeding a turbine, to which runs a second generator, making additional electricity. Because it uses two turbines, the plant is regarded to be more efficient. Biomass power plants produce a comparable amount of pollution and that toxicity is directly related to the fuel source.
Local Circuits
Reporting
Help the community spread awareness about this problem. If you suspect or have some proof of something questionable, please report it. After review, we will publish the submitted content.
Air Pollution
Concerns
- Health concern from biomass particle pollution.
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One major pollutant produced from burning biomass is also one of the most dangerous: particle pollution, also known as soot. These particles are so small that they can enter and lodge deep in the lungs, triggering asthma attacks, heart attacks, strokes and even death. Burning biomass also releases carbon monoxide, leading to headaches, nausea, dizziness, and in high concentrations, premature death. What's more, burning biomass for electricity also produces nitrogen oxides (like nitrogen dioxide) and nasty cancer-causing chemicals, including benzene and formaldehyde.
Courtesy of American Lung AssociationThe Health Dangers of Wildfires Are Well Known, Why Not Biomass?Solutions
- Topical research.
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Crawl the web for credible links and publish those for reference. If anyone reading this has a useful link of information on this subject, report it on the form or send an email to inbox@franklinlocality.com.
Conclusions
- None Reported
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Please report if a major conclusion has been made.
- Railroad Ties, CREOSOTE! It's worse depending on the fuel.
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Biomass electricity generation facilities are major air polluters, and in many cases will significantly worsen air quality in the communities and regions where they are constructed. Yet in most cases biomass gets a break because it is (inaccurately) considered renewable and carbon neutral.
The HAPs emitted in the greatest quantities by burning biomass include the organic HAPs styrene, acrolein, and formaldehyde, and the acid gases hydrofluoric acid and hydrochloric acid,. Biomass burners commonly emit ten tons or more of the acid gases and from one to five tons of organics each year. Even “clean wood” – that is, forestry-derived wood, as opposed to construction and demolition debris – emits these chemicals when burned. Burning clean wood also emits non-negligible amounts of heavy metals. Burning “urban wood” – a friendly term for construction and demolition debris (CDD) – significantly increases emissions of arsenic, chromium, copper, lead, and mercury, as well as dioxins/furans and pentachlorophenol (PCPs). Biomass developers sometimes claim that sorting out the contaminated wood from CDD produces a “clean” and safe fuel stream, but it is virtually impossible (and not cost effective) to remove the contaminated wood using visual inspection and hand sorting. Even one or two percent contaminated wood can lead to significant emissions of metals when this material is burned.
Courtesy of PFPI4/1/11 - Air pollution from biomass energyIdeas / Efforts
- None Reported
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Please report any ideas or efforts.
Courtesy of PFPI4/1/11 - Air pollution from biomass energy
Conclusions
- None Reported
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Please report if a major conclusion has been made.
Courtesy of MJ Kneiser - 92.1 WLHR10/23/19 - Franklin County authorities satisfied with biofuel overflow fix
Water Pollution
Concerns
- Well contamination, testing and go to action.
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Groundwater is fresh water (from rain or melting ice and snow) that soaks into the soil and is stored in the tiny spaces (pores) between rocks and particles of soil. Groundwater accounts for nearly 95 percent of the nation’s fresh water resources. It can stay underground for hundreds of thousands of years, or it can come to the surface and help fill rivers, streams, lakes, ponds, and wetlands.
Groundwater can also come to the surface as a spring or be pumped from a well. Both of these are common ways we get groundwater to drink. About 50 percent of our municipal, domestic, and agricultural water supply is groundwater.
Courtesy of EPA.govGroundwaterIdeas / Efforts
- Petition presented to the BOC.
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On December 2nd, a petition was presented to the BOC, one of the requests was to allocate funds for well testing on all addresses within a 1 mile radius from the GRP plant.
The initial testing will offer a baseline of water quality, calling for subsequent testing on 6 month intervals. If contamination is to be discovered, the go to action is to provide installation of water lines to county water supply.
Conclusions
- None Reported.
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Please report if a major conclusion has been made.
- Dead fish in Indian Creek, creek contamination.
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The plant was using an extinguishing device resembling water cannons to put out fires inside huge piles of decaying wood chips.
The amount of water in use was so significant it overflowed the plant’s retention ponds causing contaminated water to flow into Indian Creek.
Ideas / Efforts
- Contamination proof! EPD gets involved.
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Franklin County Commissioners say they will wait to hear from agents with the Georgia Environmental Protection Division and the Department of Natural Resources before moving forward with any attempt to stop a bio fuel plant from operation.
Courtesy of MJ Kneiser - 92.1 WLHR10/9/19 - Citizens clamor for action from county on tainted creek water
Conclusions
- Authorities satisfied with overflow fix.
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Quote from Beth Thomas, Franklin County Manager
“When we were there on site we did see that they had made adjustments to keep that from happening again,” she said. “They had sealed off one drain and the second retention pond had a second pump in so the water would go to another retention pond. And they had put in a water tank so the water will go into the tanks. They will test those before the water is released.”
Courtesy of MJ Kneiser - 92.1 WLHR10/23/19 - Franklin County authorities satisfied with biofuel overflow fix
Noise Pollution
Concerns
- Noise levels, residents/wildlife in close proximity.
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The noise produced by the plant is a disturbance. Reports of train or tornado-like noise at all times of the night, citizens are reporting that the sound travels through their home.
We would also like to invite the discussion of its effects on the natural wildlife. Taking into consideration that the GRP noise pollution affects a much smaller portion of the population, the outcome is disgraceful, none the least. Destroying the habitat will ruin the ecosystem, and these effects could be everlasting, not to mention further reaching.
Ideas / Efforts
- Visualize the noise pollution.
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We have sourced an audio engineer to assist in a project referencing noise pollution to provide visualization of its reach. The plan is to measure levels in triangulation at specific distances. We will report numbers on an overview map that shows levels as they dissipate with distance from the GRP plant.
- Install "mufflers" to dampen the sound.
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GRP has stated, as of 12/2/19, that a purchase order has been scheduled with supplies to install a sound dampening system. There is hope that this will result in the progress of eliminating noise pollutions.
Conclusions
- None Reported
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No conclusions have been reported.
Petitions
Representation
These are the individuals that provide representation for Franklin County. According to their website, their best interest is our best interest. A growing group of citizens has already established concerns, and they’re actively requesting action.
Placed below (if available) is their image and contact information. These are the individuals that can assist our mission objective. We must relentlessly assert our concerns and work hand-in-hand to develop a resolution. This matter cannot, will not be tossed under the rug, at least not with any dignity or integrity.
The information in the section is by a common public domain. Franklin County Board of Directors Website.
Reporting
Help the community spread awareness about this problem. If you suspect or have some proof of something questionable, please report it. After review, we will publish the submitted content.
External References
Here are some links to external sites talking about relevant subjects. Maybe useful to base an argument of help a point across. If you find some excellent info that is missing, go to reporting and submit the link, we will add to the list after review.