Left In Lowell

You’ve read here before about the L’Energia plant, which is on Tanner Street in Lowell. This is an 85 MW power plant that’s due to be put on line this summer, but the developer, DG Clean Power, has another hurdle to cross. A public comment period is now open for thirty (30) days for concerns about L’Energia hooking up to the Lowell municipal sewer system such that it can discharge wastewater to the Lowell Regional Wastewater Utility.

Comments of concern from the public about L’Energia’s discharge of water to the LRWU as well as any requests for a public hearing to discuss this matter should be submitted to:

MADEP
Northeast Regional Office
205B Lowell Street, Wilmington, MA 01887
(978) 694-3200 or via email from: http://www.mass.gov/dep/public/comment_nero.htm

To view the entire permit, including diagrams of the Industrial Waste Water Pre-treatment system and list of toxic pollutants, click here. Concerns relating to the LRWU’s ability to detect biocides, anti-corrosives, metals, cyanide, phenols, etc. should be expressed, especially given recent concerns statewide over the ability of water treatment facilities to detect trace amounts of compounds in drinking water supplies. Note that the LRWU discharges into the Merrimack River, and downstream communities such as Methuen and Lawrence draw their drinking water from the river. Residents from all communities are entitled to make their concerns known through this comment process.