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May 14, 2008

Billerica Power Plant-A New Wrinkle for Lowell

by Paige at 2:13 pm.

The developer of the proposed Billerica power plant is trying to figure out how to get enough water to manage the various processes that are needed to run the plant. They need to find 180,000 gallons a day, on average. This is hard, especially from the federally protected Concord River. The river is already considered impaired, and Billerica draws its drinking water from it. However, the town is already under a Stage II water ban, and this condition has occurred for several summers. But wait, the proponent is hatching some creative ideas to get the water needed!

The developer thinks it would be a good idea for the residents of Billerica to have low flow showerheads and toilets installed so that they can offset the water needed for the plant. Of course, words such as conservation, mitigation, vouchers, etc. are being tossed about. Now, they’ve never participated in something like this before, but they’re going to throw it against the wall and see if it sticks. Hey, Billerica is going to be in a water crisis eventually anyway, the developer says, so why not start now and retrofit 3,000 homes? Thank goodness this power plant developer came along to show Billerica the way.

What does this have to do with Lowell, you ask? The developer is asking for 40 million gallons of water from the river and/or the town of Billerica. That leaves 20 million gallons that still would need to be trucked in. That’s right. More tankers on Woburn Street- right through South Lowell. On average, that’s six 9,000 gallon deliveries per day, 12 trips total in a day, 365 days a year. Purportedly, the plant will not run all days of the year, so on some days there will be no increase in traffic from water deliveries, but on others, the number will be greater than 6 deliveries. That’s on top of the diesel deliveries (18 per day or more when running on diesel), ammonia deliveries, and other materials needed, should the facility be built.

Of another particular concern is the offramp from 495 to Woburn Street, which is steep, short, and in which several accidents have occured. On a wet or snowy day, or even a sunny dry one, this ramp is dangerous even to regular traffic. Tanker trucks much more so. At the base of the ramp is a dense South Lowell neighborhood. And besides the danger, there’s also the increased air pollution from so many more trucks.

Where are the Lowell officials on this? Clearly Lowell is investing in South Lowell, evidenced by the Ducharme Park renovation. It’s regrettable that its value to the city will be greatly diminished by tanker traffic that does not belong on a residential street.

If you care about this issue, take action. Call City Manager Bernard Lynch and State Senator Steven Panagiotakos, and write to the Lowell City Council, and tell them to publicly oppose this proposal. South Lowell does not need more traffic, and certainly not tanker traffic at that.

15 Responses to “Billerica Power Plant-A New Wrinkle for Lowell”

  1. joe Says:
    May 14th, 2008 at 2:23 pm

    Can’t the Lowell Water Department just run a water line down 3A?

    Charge ‘em a fortune and use the money to fix our sidewalks!

  2. Corey Says:
    May 14th, 2008 at 4:14 pm

    I did the Concord River Whitewatering trip this weekend - I wonder if the loss of flow would affect that at all…

  3. kpem Says:
    May 14th, 2008 at 4:34 pm

    Paige,
    Don’t forget about the over 200 cars backed up to get on to Woburn St. in the morning. Some commuters will have to leave aweful early to catch that train. The way the proponent is saying to Billerica residents that they will not be burdened by traffic still infuriates me. (Lowell will and it almost seems like discrimination!) I sent out emails to Lowell asking what the plan is for police details and paving Woburn St (my walls are already cracking from trucks hitting the ruts) . We need police at the offramp, one side road, and at the Ducharme cross walk if this happens during the summer. I am sure that Lowell CC does not want to be responsible for a child getting hit by a dumptruck trying to get to the swings. (remember we are not industrially zoned at the playground) No one I contacted in the city will respond and the neighborhood development guy said “Oh Joe Fitzpatrick is a good guy and he will take care of everyone”. Well whether you are for or against the plant all I want to know is how we will be taken care of sooner than later. I am sorry but some Lowell city officials need to get off their asses and get involved to let their tax paying residents know the mitigation you are expecting. One good way to do that is to respond to residents.

  4. kpem Says:
    May 14th, 2008 at 9:37 pm

    One more thing… I found this article in the Sun last year:
    http://www.redorbit.com/news/business/1018368/city_power_plant_could_be_online_next_year/index.html

    The interesting quote from Joe Fitzpatrick is “”We are not talking Billerica-sized here,” Fitzpatrick said of the Lowell plant and expansion. “We expect the sequence of events to be repowering L’Energia in the summer of 2008, Billerica in 2009 and the expansion of Lowell sometime in 2010.” He said at the Sacred Heart meeting that they have no plans to further develop Lowell with Billerica going in. Well he knew about Billerica when he made this statement. He is an LLC and can tell us whatever he wants to and I for one do not like that at all.

  5. Shawn Says:
    May 15th, 2008 at 1:16 pm

    Just a question… where does that 180,000 gallons a day go?

    Is it just cooling water that goes through the system and then back to the river?

    I can’t see them boiling all of it away every day..

    Maybe they’re bottling it for sale for extra corporate profits.

  6. Lynne Says:
    May 15th, 2008 at 1:54 pm

    There is a lot of steam that comes out of a smoke stack, and there will be six of them in Billerica if this goes through. Whether that’s where all the water goes I do not know for sure, but I would guess a lot of it just goes out the stacks.

    Seems like a waste, doesn’t it?

  7. Shawn Says:
    May 15th, 2008 at 4:09 pm

    I just cant believe that you can generate 180,000 gallons of steam in a day… they must be reclaiming most of that via simple condensation..

    Its a good question for the next public hearing… Billerica seems to have lots of em

  8. kpem Says:
    May 15th, 2008 at 6:10 pm

    “In a Dec. 24, 2007, letter to Department of Public Works Director Abdul Alkhatib, DG Clean Power Executive Vice President and COO Ed Liston states that the plant would run an average of six hours per day when operating, requiring 180,000 gallons of drinkable water daily, with a discharge back to the town’s wastewater treatment plant of up to 30,000 gallons a day. The remaining 150,000 gallons would be lost through evaporation. “

  9. waittilnextyr Says:
    May 15th, 2008 at 7:35 pm

    Or, they may sell the steam if they set up a cogeneration system.

  10. -b Says:
    May 16th, 2008 at 1:18 am

    I think I’m on board against this now.

    Trucking in water? Ridiculous.

    Why not find a site on a river???

  11. K-R-S Says:
    May 16th, 2008 at 6:32 am

    Talk about poor siting!

  12. Paige Says:
    May 16th, 2008 at 6:41 am

    -b
    The proposed site IS right on the Concord River. This is the sticking point. It is the main water source for Billerica (already in a StageII water ban), and it feeds right into the Merrimack, which is the source for Tewksbury and beyond. The Concord River is federally protected and on the EPA impaired list 303(d).However, there is a limit as to how much water is allowed to be removed from the river each year. The developer wants to tap into Billerica’s allottment, hence the suggestion that the town conserve so there is more water for the plant. Conservation is great, but doing it so the developer and his investors (from Texas) can line their pockets is absurd. Since they can’t get everything they would need from the town- they just figure they’ll truck in the balance. Now, the developer tells Billerica not to worry, because no Billerica roads will be impacted. That’s because the trucks go through Lowell and Tewksbury-to the entrance at Baker Commodities-never touching a Billerica road.

  13. -b Says:
    May 19th, 2008 at 12:09 pm

    Meant to say why not find a site on a river without issues.

    Maybe someplace on the Merrimack would be a better site.

  14. Lynne Says:
    May 19th, 2008 at 12:35 pm

    LOL, yes, -b…but the Billerica site is perfect from a making-money stance…on the pipeline…on a river (OK yes one that’s restricted but if he can get the town to give him the water who cares?)…off the highway (nevermind that it’s off a very dangerous, short, and steep exit ramp not good for tankers) and near the power lines.

    It’s up to the citizens of all the towns and their elected officials to oppose this. The developer has a money incentive to keep at trying to get this site.

  15. Jen Says:
    May 23rd, 2008 at 5:54 am

    Without signatures from billerica residents petition to deny the water, the plant goes in. Two big issues slowing the process down, one is water, the other is air. If anyone wants to help, find a person with the water petition and sign the petition to stop the water. And if you live in Lowell…..as the link mentions he’s got two plants going to be up and running soon, taking the Lowell WWTP water, however, he’ll just tap into municipal water if he runs into water quality issues there too….(keep your ears open for this..) And if Billerica succeeds in stopping this, not to worry, Lowell will get a third plant — did you hear Backtalk? btw - he needs a bit under 700k gpd for the two plants in Lowell, and the Merrimack doesn’t have the same issues as the Concord. Does anyone know if he really live in Lowell — or just have rental property there? As Lynne says — don’t trust this guy - his story changes with the wind

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