County sides with biomass plant

A citizen-led petition challenging the carbon emission standards of a proposed Port St. Joe biomass plant rankled county commissioners during last Tuesday's regular board meeting.

The petition, signed by some two dozen Gulf county residents and the conversation group "Save the Apalachicola River Group, Inc.," requests a formal administrative hearing on the air emissions permit for the $160 million plant proposed by Georgia-based Biomass Gas and Electric (BG&E).

The challenge came after the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) issued a Jan. 27 intent to issue the permit for the plant, to be located on the old Material Transfer Industries site along the Intracoastal Canal.

After reading each petitioner's name aloud, Commissioner Billy Traylor expressed his displeasure at attempts to halt construction on the project.

"It bothers me that so many people are out of work and we had the opportunity to put people to work in three to six months and now it isn't going to happen because 25 people thought they knew better," said Traylor.

Traylor characterized petitioners as wealthy residents "who pretty much have their life set."

He wagered that none had observed a working biomass plant, as he had in South Carolina before advocating for the Port St. Joe plant.

Biomass plants burn wood chips, fast-growing grasses and forest residue and covert them into gas, which in turn, produces electricity.

"It's green energy, efficient, cost effective. It has a lot of good things going for it," Traylor said.

Pat Hardman, owner of Gulf to Bay Construction, echoed Traylor in her support of the biomass plant.

Hardman said she had observed the University of South Carolina plant and found it to be "as clean as you can get."

Though Traylor confessed to being "hot" about recent developments, Commissioner Warren Yeager tempered his response, saying he was "disappointed" about the petition's filing.

Noting that most of the petitioners had not attended several public hearings on the plant, Yeager said he had spoken with BG&E president and CEO Glenn Ferris about meeting with the individuals to address their concerns.

Meetings with Ferris and Economic Development Council director Ed Nelson were scheduled throughout Tuesday afternoon.

The FDEP has 15 days to review the petition to determine if it meets legal standards.

According to Yeager, if FDEP grants an administrative hearing, it could take between four to six months.

Because the state has designated Gulf County an "area of critical concern," commissioner Bill Williams suggested that the EDC meet with the governor's office to fast-track the hearing.

EDC board chairman Tom Graney attempted to soothe commissioners, saying citizen petitions were just part of the permitting process.

"There's a 30 day window where any crazy can demand feedback from DEP," Graney said. "DEP is geared to deal with the wackos who come out of the woodwork on those things."

Graney assured commissioners that their work had not been in vain.

"It's going to happen," he said. "There will be a biomass plant out there."

In other business:

*After expressing his concern about courthouse safety at the Feb. 9 commission meeting, Commissioner Nathan Peters, Jr. said he had met with the county grant writer to pursue grant funds for the purchase of a front entrance metal detector.

Yeager asked Gulf County Sheriff Joe Nugent to meet with Port St. Joe Police Chief David Barnes to investigate how the two departments might collaborate on courthouse security, saying tough economic times require "outside the box" thinking.

*As he has for many meetings, Williams publicly urged the city of Port St. Joe to conduct a rate study to justify its water rates and sewer tie-in-fees.

Yeager noted that the city has approved a request for proposal (RFP) to find a company to conduct the study.

*Noting problems with cell phone service in Gulf County, Yeager advised the board to send a letter to Verizon urging them to correct any issues.

*Public works director Joe Danford reported that a voucher system for the Five Points Landfill is now in place. Vouchers ($20 minimum purchase) are available at the Gulf County Clerk of Court's Wewahitchka satellite office and at the public works department in Port St. Joe.

*Commissioners unanimously selected the Gulf Coast Workforce Board to administer its Community Services Block Grant program after hearing presentations from three agencies.

The Department of Community Affairs will consider the board's recommendation in making its final recommendation to the governor.

*After allocating $12,500 to fund a bypass road on Baltzell Avenue, Peters contributed the balance of his road bond fund ($34,241) to fund a lime rock base for the new connector road joining Williams Avenue to Martin Luther King Blvd.

"We've been talking about one Port St. Joe and I think that will do it," said Peters of connecting the communities separated by the railroad tracks.

*After six years conducting a county commodities program, McLemore reported a "snag."

"We're not able to get the groceries we've had in the past," said McLemore, who noted that deliveries have been cut from once a month to every other month.

The commodities program currently serves over 500 families.

*Hardman briefed the board on a grass-roots effort to address the county's hunger problem.

From March 21-31, People Helping People and the Sheriff's department will be collecting donations of food and Easter baskets to be dispersed in time for Easter.

Hardman said assistant county administrator Michael Hammond would be fitted for an Easter Bunny suit, and McLemore also volunteered to wear rabbit ears.