Jim Gordon's Energy Management Inc., the developer of the Cape Wind project, knows no bounds when it comes to energy development. While he and his thirty something year old company hide behind the development of America's first and largest off-shore wind farm saying it will lessen our dependence on fossil fuels, they are in the process of developing a fossil fuel dependent peaker power plant, for the poor already polluted community of Chelsea, MA. Yes when it comes to alternative energy, Jim Gordon and Energy Management Inc. swings both ways. As Dennis Duffy of EMI remarks, when asked about the apparent hypocrisy, "We're in the energy business. That's what we do."
On one side of that swinging pendulum we have the proposed Cape Wind project, touted as America's first clean and green off-shore wind farm the largest in the world, mind you, nearly twice the size of any built on the planet. On the other side, the pendulum swings to a proposed dirty fossil fuel dependent plant in Chelsea, MA.
What do both plants have in common? Absolutely nothing except when you follow the process, the loop-holes in regulation and, of course, the money they have, ironically, a lot in common. But yes they are both green; green as in the color of money.
They also have in common their circumventing of the local communities affected by them. Neither Cape Cod nor Chelsea, MA want it nor were they consulted before either project proposal. According to Gordon, "It just goes with the territory," he said. "If you believe you have a project that has merit that will adhere to the regulations and standards that govern that venue, go forward."
Loop-holes abound
So now we get to the "regulations and standards" that Gordon refers to. And there we find the loop-holes. To date, there are no regulations and standards (they are only, now, being developed by the Federal Government and are just in the draft stages) governing off-shore wind. How convenient for him and his company. As to diesel burning peaker plants, they escape most regulation and standards because there are intended for emergency use. Again, this loop-hole did not escape Gordon and EMI.
Cape Wind is attempting to take advantage of a loop-hole or shall we say donut hole in the Nantucket Sound which has been designated a marine sanctuary by the State of MA, off limits to industrial development. But right in the middle of the Sound, in the Horseshoe Shoal area, we find a donut hole of Federal waters. And that is, of course, where Gordon has decided to place his 24 square mile industrial wind power plant complete with 130 440' high turbines along with a 100' tall oil filled electrical platform thus avoiding any State regulation and taking advantage of the fact that there are no Federal regulations in place. In fact, when these regulations are in place Cape Wind will simply be 'grand-fathered in' something that, also, has not missed the calculated eye of this developer.
So what about the City of Chelsea, MA and the loop-hole there? According to an article from The Boston Independent Media Center titled Chelsea and Low Income Communities Fight Power Plant, Against Environmental Injustice "The residents started coming out in droves, basically saying that they were opposed to the power plant, contacting their state legislator and city councilors," said Rossane Bongiovanni, president of Chelsea’s City Council. "The City Council decided to take action and say, we don’t want this here, don’t send your proposal because we don’t want you in Chelsea." Yet, Energy Management Inc.—the same company heralded for their plans to stage a wind power project off Cape Cod—decided to circumvent local authorities by presenting their proposal directly to the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) office, and therefore obtain a local zoning waiver at the state levels. "In essence, the city of Chelsea would have almost no say on this power plant if it wasn’t for these public hearings," said Bongiovanni.
Meanwhile, this diesel peaker power plant will spew 37 tons of particulate matter per year to the atmosphere of a community already suffering among the highest hospitalized asthma rates in the State of MA. This plant is slated to be built within 100 yards of an elementary school. Diesel peaker plants emit small particles of soot and dust that can lodge in the lungs of those living in that community and increase the cancer rate.
Who lives in that community? Minorities do. Chelsea is comprised of poor Latino, black and immigrant families who have the lowers income in the State.
Intermittent Operation
Also, in common is the intermittent operation of Cape Wind and the Diesel Power plant proposed for Cape Cod and Chelsea, MA. Wind turbines operate when the wind is blowing when it doesn't it relies on fossil fuel based power plants.
A diesel fired peaker power plant operates during times of peak use like in the heat of the summer when the air-conditioners are going full bore. Of course during that time the air quality is stagnant and that means increased pollution and difficulty breathing for asthma sufferers, the elderly and those with respiratory disease.
Environmental Injustice
Because of the burdens on a poor already polluted community Chelsea has been declared an Environmental Injustice Community, one of the only designations of its kind in MA.
Of course, when it comes to alternative energy Gordon, EMI and Cape Wind are equal environmental injustice opportunists. Their alternatives swing as far as the pendulum can swing from a so called clean energy project to a dirty one. And it swings both ways. Naturally both swing toward money in the developer's private pocket.
For more information go to:
http://www.saveoursound.org
http://boston.indymedia.org/feature/display/198491/index.php and
http://www.chelseacollab.org/index.html
http://donatracy.gather.com/
On one side of that swinging pendulum we have the proposed Cape Wind project, touted as America's first clean and green off-shore wind farm the largest in the world, mind you, nearly twice the size of any built on the planet. On the other side, the pendulum swings to a proposed dirty fossil fuel dependent plant in Chelsea, MA.
What do both plants have in common? Absolutely nothing except when you follow the process, the loop-holes in regulation and, of course, the money they have, ironically, a lot in common. But yes they are both green; green as in the color of money.
They also have in common their circumventing of the local communities affected by them. Neither Cape Cod nor Chelsea, MA want it nor were they consulted before either project proposal. According to Gordon, "It just goes with the territory," he said. "If you believe you have a project that has merit that will adhere to the regulations and standards that govern that venue, go forward."
Loop-holes abound
So now we get to the "regulations and standards" that Gordon refers to. And there we find the loop-holes. To date, there are no regulations and standards (they are only, now, being developed by the Federal Government and are just in the draft stages) governing off-shore wind. How convenient for him and his company. As to diesel burning peaker plants, they escape most regulation and standards because there are intended for emergency use. Again, this loop-hole did not escape Gordon and EMI.
Cape Wind is attempting to take advantage of a loop-hole or shall we say donut hole in the Nantucket Sound which has been designated a marine sanctuary by the State of MA, off limits to industrial development. But right in the middle of the Sound, in the Horseshoe Shoal area, we find a donut hole of Federal waters. And that is, of course, where Gordon has decided to place his 24 square mile industrial wind power plant complete with 130 440' high turbines along with a 100' tall oil filled electrical platform thus avoiding any State regulation and taking advantage of the fact that there are no Federal regulations in place. In fact, when these regulations are in place Cape Wind will simply be 'grand-fathered in' something that, also, has not missed the calculated eye of this developer.
So what about the City of Chelsea, MA and the loop-hole there? According to an article from The Boston Independent Media Center titled Chelsea and Low Income Communities Fight Power Plant, Against Environmental Injustice "The residents started coming out in droves, basically saying that they were opposed to the power plant, contacting their state legislator and city councilors," said Rossane Bongiovanni, president of Chelsea’s City Council. "The City Council decided to take action and say, we don’t want this here, don’t send your proposal because we don’t want you in Chelsea." Yet, Energy Management Inc.—the same company heralded for their plans to stage a wind power project off Cape Cod—decided to circumvent local authorities by presenting their proposal directly to the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) office, and therefore obtain a local zoning waiver at the state levels. "In essence, the city of Chelsea would have almost no say on this power plant if it wasn’t for these public hearings," said Bongiovanni.
Meanwhile, this diesel peaker power plant will spew 37 tons of particulate matter per year to the atmosphere of a community already suffering among the highest hospitalized asthma rates in the State of MA. This plant is slated to be built within 100 yards of an elementary school. Diesel peaker plants emit small particles of soot and dust that can lodge in the lungs of those living in that community and increase the cancer rate.
Who lives in that community? Minorities do. Chelsea is comprised of poor Latino, black and immigrant families who have the lowers income in the State.
Intermittent Operation
Also, in common is the intermittent operation of Cape Wind and the Diesel Power plant proposed for Cape Cod and Chelsea, MA. Wind turbines operate when the wind is blowing when it doesn't it relies on fossil fuel based power plants.
A diesel fired peaker power plant operates during times of peak use like in the heat of the summer when the air-conditioners are going full bore. Of course during that time the air quality is stagnant and that means increased pollution and difficulty breathing for asthma sufferers, the elderly and those with respiratory disease.
Environmental Injustice
Because of the burdens on a poor already polluted community Chelsea has been declared an Environmental Injustice Community, one of the only designations of its kind in MA.
Of course, when it comes to alternative energy Gordon, EMI and Cape Wind are equal environmental injustice opportunists. Their alternatives swing as far as the pendulum can swing from a so called clean energy project to a dirty one. And it swings both ways. Naturally both swing toward money in the developer's private pocket.
For more information go to:
http://www.saveoursound.org
http://boston.indymedia.org/feature/display/198491/index.php and
http://www.chelseacollab.org/index.html
http://donatracy.gather.com/
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