E.P. council resolves to oppose energy facility
BURRILLVILLE – The East Providence City Council Tuesday unanimously passed a resolution opposing Invenergy’s proposed 1,000megawatt power plant in Pascoag, bringing to 35 the number of municipalities against the project.
The council’s votes comes a week after Burrillville town officials and residents, including Town Councilman Raymond J. Trinque and Burrillville Land Trust President Paul Roselli, appeared before the council to ask for its support.
The Burrillville Town Council voted to oppose the plant last fall and, along with a group of town residents, has been asking other communities since then to join in that opposition.
“They (Burrillville) voiced their concerns to us and we heard them loud and clear,” East Providence Councilman Robert Britto said after the vote.
With East Providence’s vote, 32 of the state’s 39 cities and towns have now adopted resolutions of opposition, including Burrillville, Glocester, North Smithfield, Cumberland, Lincoln, Pawtucket, Central Falls, Providence, East Providence, Bristol, West Greenwich, Cranston, Coventry, West Warwick, Hopkinton, Middletown, Richmond, Scituate, Foster, Charlestown, South Kingstown, North Kingstown, Little Compton, Narragansett, Jamestown, Portsmouth, Barrington, Exeter, Block Island, Tiverton and Westerly and Warren.
Resolutions of opposition have also been approved by officials in Thompson, Connecticut, and Douglas and Webster, Massachusetts.
Rhode Island municipalities that have not adopted resolutions as of yesterday, include Woonsocket, Johnston, Warwick, East Greenwich, North Providence, Smithfield and Newport.
Burrillville attorney Michael R. McElroy is preparing to forward a supplemental package with those resolutions of oppositions to the state Energy Facility Siting Board (EFSB) and will ask that they be considered as “an important part” of the evidence presented by the town in its opposition to $700 million Clear River Energy Center.
“We are encouraged that our fellow municipalities are joining us in opposing this facility,” said Burrillville Town Council President John Pacheco. “The cumulative impact of over 33 communities standing together in opposition sends a powerful message – one that we hope cannot be ignored. The Town of Burrillville is united in its opposition, and we are fortunate to have an engaged and committed group of residents who have given time and energy to take our plea for help to other communities.”
Pacheco say the town continues to maintain its position that Invenergy’s new water plan in partnership with the town of Johnston changes the processing methods of the power plant and includes process that were not known to the Town, the EFSB, or the other agencies that provided advisory opinions to the EFSB back in September of 2016.
Earlier this week, the EFSB voted to ask for five supplemental advisory opinions on Invenergy’s new water supply.
In addition to the Burrillville building inspector, the Rhode Island Department of Health, Department of Environmental Management, Department of Transportation and Statewide Planning will have four months to provide supple- mental advisory opinions to address the impacts of the proposed new water plan and gaps identified in the original advisory opinions.
Specifically, the town of Burrillville will be asked to provide an advisory opinion on the impact of Invenergy's new water plan and an analysis of additional information submitted by the power company regarding soil erosion, sediment control, stormwater management and building plans.
Meanwhile, Statewide Planning will be asked to address all 18 elements of the state guide plan including environmental issues such as biodiversity, impact on wildlife and ecosystems and recreational considerations.