Jasper Utility Service Board explains the lease; Breedlove looking for Dioxin answer; Kreilein debunks data

Monday’s Utility Service Board meeting released information concerning the lease negotiations between the City of Jasper and Twisted Oak Corp.

The announcement:

It was standing room only as the meeting began with an announcement from Chairman Wayne Schuetter.

“During Friday we were involved in negotiations from 8 in the morning to 5 in the evening with Twisted Oaks Corporation.” Schuetter explained, “Because of the amount we got covered I made the decision to add to the agenda tonight.”

Before handing the reins to City Attorney Sandi Hemmerlein to explain the proposed lease terms Schuetter explained how they came to the decision to pursue leasing the power plant. He expressed that the primary focus has been “Is this right for Jasper?”

“There has been a lot of question about the cost involved. Yes, we have spent money to look into the lease to get to the point to make a decision.” Schuetter said concerning the $140,000 spent on the Black and Veatch survey of the power plant. “But we have to spend some money when you are making a decision.”

He then announced the goal was to reach an agreement by the end of July, but it would hopefully be by the middle of July.

Pastor Chris Breedlove has joined with members of the community, including Dr. Norma Kreilein and 50 other medical professionals, in publicly voicing concern about the speed in which the board is moving towards a decision. As they stand and call for a slowing of the process it appears the board is moving forward fairly quickly.

The proposed lease terms:

The proposal is available at the Town Hall.

The proposal has four phases and would begin immediately after the agreement is signed. Jasper has the option to terminate the lease if certain conditions aren’t met by 2012. These conditions include obtaining environmental permits, a power sales agreement, construction funding, pipeline agreement, and government approvals.

It was revealed that the plant’s fuel would be natural gas and miscanthus. Diesel will be allowed as a backup fuel. In the interim while the miscanthus supply is being propagated, switchgrass or another closed loop biomass crop can be used with the consent of the city. A closed loop biomass crop is a sustainable crop.

Twisted Oak will pay the city of Jasper $60,000 quarterly during the interim phase and the first payment is due within 60 days of the effective date. The negotiations continue concerning moneys for rent of the facility, royalties for the power produced, and inflation increases.

The city has also added a section concerning emissions in which the plant will be operated under the permit requirements established by Indiana Department of Environmental Management. Added to that was the requirement to comply with stricter operating standards and conditions if the city passes a clean air ordinance.

The public speaks:

Norma Kreilein spoke, chastising the board and the city for disregarding the public’s concern as well as the fact that 50 doctors have spoken out against the proposed facility.

The local media fell victim to her sharp tongue as she berated us for misquotations and a general lack of proper information dissemination regarding the cons of a biomass power plant.

“It is easy to make a case when you talk to officials operating a plant or selling a plant, not those in the neighborhood and not putting the plant in perspective.”

Kreilein criticized the fact that at this point in the game, apparently the final few minutes, the city has finally sought the opinion of the local medical community. Kreilein continued by attacking the data included in the letter sent to her and the medical professionals that have spoken out against the power plant.

“Is this right for Jasper?” Kreilein said. “Again first of all ‘do no harm’ as a physician; secondly, check your data. This is what you are using to convince me (shaking the letter with the information from the city), to convince my colleagues. On a good day maybe somebody could fall for it. I don’t know. I didn’t fall for it. I didn’t fall for it in March and I don’t fall for it now.”

Kreilein continued, “I don’t think the amount of time that you are allowing for public comment is adequate.”

Kreilein stated her stance is based on over 20 years of seeing the effects of asthma on the community as well as the misrepresentation of the facts to the public concerning the health of the community.

Kreilein reiterated she will close her practice and leave if the proposal comes to fruition. She called upon the community to talk to the pharmacists that dispense the medications for asthma and respiratory illnesses to see the true extent of these illnesses in our community.

Pastor Chris Breedlove spoke before the Board as well. He called for a slowing of the process; citing board member Rick Stradtner’s request during last month’s meeting to do the same.

He also pointed out that we can’t afford to ignore the fact that we have a consensus of doctors coming to the same conclusions.

“We have independent medical doctors coming to consensus. That’s something we can’t afford to ignore.” Breedlove said.

He expressed concern about the fact the city of Jasper has spent $250,000 dollars pursuing biomass proposals without the awareness of the public. Meanwhile the public is well aware of the Jasper Public Library spending $300,000 over ten years in seeking a new library.

“Sirs, will this power plant pollute?” Breedlove demanded. “Will this present a possible problem with people living in close proximity of the power plant?”

Regarding the pollution, Schuetter answered, “Yes, it might. How much; it’s still to be determined.”

Breedlove also disclosed information regarding past statements regarding dioxins.

Dioxins are a by-product of the burning of fossil fuels such as natural gas. Although heavily attributed to coal burning power plants, dioxins are produced when burning organic compounds in the presence of chlorine.

Dioxins are considered highly toxic to plants and animals due to the low levels at which they are lethal. It was found that the herbicide, Agent Orange, contained large amounts of dioxin compounds in it, however at the time the manufacturers were unaware of the dangers associated with dioxins. The dioxin was accidentally introduced into the herbicide during the manufacturing process.

From a study conducted on the “ranch hands” (the Air Force personnel involved with Agent Orange during the Vietnam War) this was a concluded:

“The Institute of Medicine indicates that there is “sufficient evidence of an association” between herbicide exposure and incidence of soft-tissue sarcoma, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, and chloracne.”

Dioxins: An Overview and History by Ronald A. Hites; School of Public and Environmental Affairs, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana;  Environmental Science and Technology; September 3, 2010, http://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/es1013664

During the public discussion on March 23, 2011 the question was posed to representatives of Twisted Oaks regarding the production of dioxins in this plant. The question was answered during the public session.

They stated “…open burning is the biggest source of dioxin in the environment because the combustion is incomplete and that purports dioxins, um, the natural gas burner will, according to EPA data, produce about one tenth of a gram which is about one hundredths of an ounce of dioxin a year.”

Breedlove contacted Hemmerlein to receive a copy of the recorded meeting and he was informed that there was some delay in getting the recording.

Eventually Breedlove received a copy but found that at the moment the question about dioxins was being answered the video faded out and then came back in at the end of the answer, missing the information concerning how much would be produced.

He alleged that he was never notified of any technical problems on the DVD and found it curious that the DVD was disseminated as an official public record without a disclosure of any technical problems or missing information.

After Breedlove finished speaking the crowd exploded into clapping. When it died, Hemmerlein, explained the dialogue that had occurred between her and Breedlove regarding the record. She explained that Mick Birge had been contacted to record the proceedings.

Schuetter then asked Birge for information regarding the fading of the video and audio.

“The 4 fades you saw were generally transitions from tape to tape that’s all they were, this is the camera we used that night, that the city had access to.  When we make a change in a tape we put another one in, we hit it, and we fire it …”.

Birge explained that these tapes are 60 minute tapes and they have to be changed during proceedings of that length.

In a later interview Birge explained that he was contacted by the city to record the event due to the lack of recording equipment in the auditorium. He recorded the event with his own equipment and produced the DVD for the city on his own.

“There was no contract, no money. I was doing them a favor.” He said.

He added that there were difficulties in turning the recording into a DVD. “This was an extremely long event and that length of recording is an incredible amount of information to turn into a DVD. In fact it took two DVD’s because of the length.”

The public meeting:

The Board will convene with the Jasper City Council in a private meeting on June 28 to determine the proceedings for the public forum. That same day at 6:30 the Utility Service Board will hold a public meeting will be held to approve the event proceedings.