Burrillville Town Council Votes to Oppose $700 Million Energy Facility
Saturday, September 24, 2016
On Thursday night, the Burrillville Town Council voted at a special meeting on to oppose the siting of a proposed Invenergy power plant.
According to the Council via a release, “the vote takes into account feedback from residents of Burrillville as well as the expert opinions of non-biased consultants who studied the impact on the Town especially in the areas of noise, traffic, air quality, property values and the environment.”
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST“It is clear from the extensive reports we have received from our consultants, and from the strong concern expressed by residents, that Burrillville is not an appropriate site for this new Invenergy power plant,” said Town Council President John Pacheco. “There is no question this plant would have a severe and
negative impact on the quality of life here in our rural community.
The Town Council President will be presenting the Town’s position to the Energy Facility Siting Board (EFSB). The EFSB, which is the decision-making authority on the Invenergy proposal, will be taking formal testimony before reaching a decision.
The proposed project is strongly supported by Governor Gina Raimondo. The project is a $700 million investment in Rhode Island by Invenergy, a Chicago energy company. The project will generate hundreds of construction jobs during the development of the project.
Previously, he Burrillville Town Council had maintained a neutral position on the proposal to allow a full study and the unimpeded drafting of advisory opinions on the proposal by town boards and officials that were asked to provide advisory opinions to the EFSB. Those advisory opinions, including assessments from town-hired experts, are complete. They express deep concern about the impact of the proposed facility on Burrillville. Both the Planning and Zoning Boards concluded the Town is not a suitable site for the facility.
“There is no doubt after hearing from the experts, who have extensively studied the areas of traffic, noise, air quality and water, that Invenergy should not be allowed to build it’s new facility in Town,” Pacheco said.
“Hundreds of Town residents have voiced their opposition to the plant, and while we recognize the EFSB is the decision maker- we hope it will the listen to the Town’s very strong objection.”
Should the EFSB force the Town to accept the Invenergy plant, the Town does have the authority to demand guaranteed financial compensation. The Town Council has negotiated an aggressive package of contracts to protect its residents if the power plant is allowed to locate in Burrillville. The four proposed contracts include a tax agreement, a property value guarantee agreement, an opt-out agreement and a decommissioning agreement. The Town Council will hold a public hearing on the contract package on Monday September 26, 2016.
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