Invenergy public hearing is Oct. 10
Burrillville town officials looking for big turnout
“We know that the proposed plant will ruin valuable forest land, harm our environment and jeopardize native wildlife. And there are pressing concerns about the danger to the state’s air and water quality.”
—Burrillville Town Manager Michael C. Wood
BURRILLVILLE — While Gov. Gina Raimondo may have declined the town's invitation to attend the state Energy Facility Siting Board’s last community public hearing on Invenergy's application to build a natural gasfired power plant in Burrillville, town officials here are urging municipal leaders and residents throughout the state to come make their voices heard on Oct. 10.
Pawtucket, Central Falls, Lincoln, Cumberland and North Smithfield are among the 32 Rhode Island municipalities that have officially opposed the $1 billion natural gasfired power plant. Burrillville Town Manager Michael C. Wood says individuals, businesses and other interested parties from those communities now have one last chance to voice their opposition at the EFSB's final public comment session.
“The majority of communities are against this plant which, although proposed for the Town of Burrillville, will impact residents throughout Rhode Island,” said Wood. "We know that the proposed plant will ruin valuable forest land, harm our environment, and jeopardize native wildlife. And there are pressing concerns about the danger to the state’s air and water quality.”
The Burrillville Town Council voted two weeks ago to invite Raimondo to the hearing, which will be held from 6 to 10 p.m. in the Burrillville High School auditorium in Harrisville, but a spokeswoman for the governor said Raimondo is unable to attend.
Town officials were hoping to lure Raimondo back to Burrillville one last time to hear the concerns of residents who are fighting to keep the power plant from being built in Pascoag. Raimondo was last in Burrillville in July of 2016 after she agreed to hold a public community meeting on
Invenergy’s controversial $700 million natural gasfired power plant. Raimondo’s decision to hold that community meeting was applauded by residents, town officials and groups that have been protesting the power plant proposal.
Even though the governor won't be attending, Burrillville town officials are hoping there is a good turnout of people and officials from across the state.
According to Wood, the plant isn’t needed to provide energy for the region as evidenced by recent ISO New England findings that note the rise in green renewable energy sources. While the plant would be built by a private company (Invenergy), he says, it will be partially funded by ratepayers who have already seen a jump in electric bills to pay for the construction.
“There are very real risks to Rhode Island’s environment and quality of life," Wood said. "Over and over, our state’s residents have stressed their commitment to open space and to protecting our clean air and water. We are in danger of losing our last stretch of contiguous forest and recreation areas. October 10th is Rhode Islanders’ last chance to once again defend our environment by opposing the Invenergy plant.”
The four-hour hearing on Oct. 10 will precede the EFSB’s procedural and evidentiary hearings, which begin Oct. 17 and end on Dec. 18.
Procedural hearings and motions will be held over a period of three consecutive days, Oct. 17 to 19, while final evidentiary hearings will be held Oct. 31; Nov. 1, 2, 10, 20, 29 and 30; and Dec. 4,7, 8, 12 and 18.
The panel has reserved three extra hearing dates in January in case they are needed.
All hearings are scheduled to be held in the Rhode Island Public Utilities Commission hearing room, 89 Jefferson Boulevard, Warwick. In the past, the panel has live- streamed meetings and hearings to allow the public to observe the proceedings.
The four-hour community public hearing on Oct. 10 will be the last opportunity for the public to testify before the panel in Burrillville. The EFSB, which will have final say on whether the plant is built, had indicated a month ago that it would conduct another public hearing in Burrillville before the evidentiary hearings begin on Oct. 31. This will be the fourth and last community public hearing held in Burrillville since Invenergy filed its application in 2015.
In September of last year, EFSB voted to deny separate motions by Burrillville and the Conservation Law Foundation to dismiss Invenergy’s application. The town’s original motion to dismiss was filed in September on the grounds that Invenergy’s application was incomplete and did not include information regarding all required support facilities, including water resources. The EFSB voted a month later in October to suspend the application and ordered the company to report back by Jan. 11 of this year with a new plan to secure water for the $700 million Clear River Energy Center after two water suppliers in Burrillville rejected proposals to sell water.
On Jan. 11, the last day of the suspension period and the day after the Johnston City Council approved a long-term agreement to sell water to the company, Invenergy filed its revised water supply plan.
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.
Two months ago, a Superior Court judge denied Invenergy's motion to dismiss two lawsuits filed in April by the Town of Burrillville and the Conservation Law Foundation. The two lawsuits both seek the same thing: A declaration that the town of Johnston has no legal right under the 1915 Act to obtain water from Providence for the power plant.
Both the Conservation Law Foundation and the Town of Burrillville are asking a Superior Court judge to issue a summary judgment in the matter.
Last week, the EFSB voted unanimously against two motions file by the Town of Burrillville. The first motion asked that Invenergy’s application be dismissed on the grounds that Invenergy has not produced complete plans for 54 of the 55 structures to be built as part of the power plant, a required by law. The second motion asked that Invenergy reveal what plans they are working on for an alternative water source should the Rhode Island Superior Court rule that the deal the company made to truck water in from Johnston is illegal.