Left In Lowell

Citizens that are opposed to the proposed Billerica Power Plant will be holding an informational session on Wednesday, March 19, 2008, at 7PM at the Sacred Heart School (map). The public is invited to attend. The citizens will share publicly available information about the plant with neighbors. Concerns include air quality, safety water and noise.

With respect to the introduction to the power plant that was posted here previously, several great topics of discussion were raised. There are many reasons people are opposing the plant. Each reason is based in that person’s perspective, which should be respected. Some are not bothered at the prospect at all, which is fine. My goal is not to convince you. My goal is to share publicly available information with you so that you can make your own decision. The developer will try to convince you via mailings, full-page newspaper ads, and large headlines that are not endorsed by the people they are quoting (see image to the right). But, they have a job to do and certainly have a right to earn a living. For my part, I have a right to protect the health and safety of my family.

Unlike the developer, I did not fly over the area where I chose to live in a helicopter to survey the land. While the area has some industrial zoning, I did not realize it was an ideal place to put a power plant when I looked for a place to buy a home. A quick look at the zoning maps of the area reveals that there is dense residential development surrounding the entire site.

There is also not a demonstrated need for power in this area. The threat of rolling blackouts has been held up by the developer as a reason this plant is needed. This plant is an energy “insurance policy for the future” they claim. I say, beware of insurance salesmen. Those in the industry will tell you blackouts occur because of infrastructure failures, not because there is not enough power generating capacity.

For those that question or downplay the health impacts of this facility, here’s the scoop. There are health effects. Even the experts will tell you that, if you listen closely to what they say in this clip (large audio MP3 file) from the Billerica Selectmen meeting, March 3, 2008. They talk of a continuum for health effects, and make clear that it’s not binary – even if the plant is at or below the required limit, it’s still generating pollution, which is still being pumped into the air, and which will impact the health of residents around that plant. The EPA’s own scientists were just overruled in their call for more strict air quality standards. The environmental consulting firm evaluating this plant proposal will tell you they would like to see tighter “standards”. The developer jumps up and down screaming that they “meet” the standards. But remember, a standard is an acceptable limit- a balance struck between the needs of business and the tolerance of the public.

Is one more case of pediatric asthma acceptable? Is one more heart attack acceptable? What if that is your child or your father?

Once, in the dawn of my writing career, I aspired not to be a political blogger…but a science fiction and fantasy writer. Yes, I spent quite a few teenage hours scribbling stories in spiral bound notebooks (in the days before my family had bought into, or rather, inherited, a word processor) inventing characters and relishing in interesting turns of phrase. Once we got that old orange-and-black screened monstrosity (not too different from this one) I happily banged out those stories on a keyboard, discovering the wonderful freedom of typing instead of handwriting.

Though it all, I devoured - and no other word describes it - every science fiction and fantasy book I could lay my hands on. My library is what it is today because my spare babysitting money frequently bought me books. I loved everything, but I especially loved the old masters, Asimov and Tolkien and C.S. Lewis and Le Guin. And Arther C. Clark. Who bridged the gap effortlessly between real science and fiction. The progenitor of the so-called “hard S-F” genre.

Today, Clark passed away at the respectable age of 90. He leaves behind him a body of work that is hardly equaled. He could make you believe in the future. Unlike those that came after, who wrote in an age of cynicism and dystopia, his books shone a light on what science could be. Against the backdrop of advanced science that appeared to his characters as magic, he wove stories that illuminated the human condition.

I read his 2001: A Space Odyssey long before seeing the Kubrick film. I hated the Kubrick film. I loved the novel.

Because of writers like Clark, I had the great opportunity, at an early age, to open my mind to the possibilities of what the future might hold. It is why I can hold some measure of optimism in a world that demands realism, where every purveyor of conventional wisdom says to us, never believe, where science and progress have not solved so many of our problems but have caused many more. These stories taught me how to take the long view, to keep the horizon in sight…to never take anything at face value, whether it’s alien technology freely given for a price, or political promises by any party…and to understand that our greatest treasure as human beings is how we relate to the world around us and to each other, no matter what era we live in.

Thank you, Arthur, for your words…and your vision.

You can listen to my Thinking Out Loud interview from last Friday with security consultant Fred Marcks, where we discuss the Billerica power plant and what you are not hearing from the company who wants to build it. (Podcast also available on billericapowerplant.org). Fred is a former EPA employee and now an independent consultant, and it was a very interesting interview.

Remember, there is an informational session on the power plant tomorrow, Wednesday March 19, at 7pm at the Sacred Heart School, 122 Andrews Street, in south Lowell (directions). Fred Marcks and others will be there to answer your questions, and whether you are already doubtful about the plant or not, you are welcome and encouraged to attend.

 TOL Interview on Billerica Power Plant: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download