By Tom Flanigan
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wfsu/local-wfsu-884232.mp3
Tallahassee, FL – A plan to build a biomass-fired power plant near the small Gadsden County town of Gretna brought concerned residents to a community meeting on Saturday. There are worries the plant will pollute the area's air and water.
Citizens nearly filled the sanctuary of the little On the Move for Jesus Church next door to Gretna Elementary School. In December, city and county officials announced the Adage Company planned to build a wood chip burning power plant along U.S. 90 between the school and the women's prison a few miles down the road.
The big problem, says Leon Robinson with the Concerned Citizens of Gadsden County, is that there have been no public hearings on the project.
"Why do the concerned citizens have to have the first public meeting, but you guys haven't, and you've already agreed to it."
Many at Saturday's meeting, including County Commissioner Brenda Holt, complained it's been hard to get information about the plant.
"You know, I asked my usual questions like, how much ash? They said twenty tons, but it's not going to be in the air. So where's it going to be? They said it's going to be disposed of. I want to know where!"
Officials with Adage were invited to Saturday's meeting, but didn't attend. Concerned Citizens of Gadsden County President James Maloy says the discussion is just beginning.
"I'm hoping that the word will spread, and people will want to come to the meetings we'll have upcoming, and there's plenty of them."
Maloy says his group plans to file its concerns with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, which has the final say on whether the biomass plant is built.