The Georgia Environmental Protection Division gave assurances that a proposed wood-burning power plant in LaGrange would not be a health threat, but many of the estimated 70 people at Thursday’s public hearing are convinced it will cause respiratory disease and other problems.

The EPD called the hearing at LaGrange City Council chamber to answer questions and get comments on Greenway Renewable Power’s application for an air-quality permit. The $170 million biomass plant would generate enough electricity for 30,000 homes by burning chipped wood waste, much of which currently goes to landfills. Painted or treated wood could not be used because it gives off harmful chemicals and more smoke.

“Biomass is not clean and not green,” said Jeannine Honicker, founder and co-chairman of the LaGrange Sierra Club. “It will take decades to grow the trees that are burned in a flash. Every tree burned reduces the ongoing capacity of the ecosystem to sequester carbon.”

Although the plant wouldn’t burn coal, oil or natural gas, “it is the actual emissions and the effect on the environment and health of the people that must be considered for this issuance of this air permit,” she said.

There’s a double standard for coal and biomass, she said, and “the public deserves the same protection regardless of the source of the pollutant.”

“We’re not talking about cutting down virgin forests for this,” said Eric Cornwell, acting program manager for the EPD’s air quality division.

He said the plant will have “continuous emissions monitors” to make sure it complies with pollutant restrictions. Air near the plant will be “fine to breathe,” he said.

“If they demonstrate an ability to comply with the regulations on the books, we’ll end up issuing them a permit,” Cornwell said.

Debbie Jackson of Old Hutchinson Mill Road said she has a garden and asked Cornwell, “Would you eat anything out of it?”

“Sure,” he replied. “Let me know when your tomatoes come in next year.”

“I’ll hold you to that,” she said.

Greenway, a wholly owned subsidiary of Rollcast Energy Inc. in Charlotte, N.C., plans to build and operate the facility on 127 acres on Old Hutchinson Mill Road next to the city’s Long Cane wastewater treatment plant along Interstate 85. The Callaway Foundation has an agreement to sell the property to Greenway for an undisclosed price.

The city would earn $475,000 annually for furnishing the plant with Long Cane’s treated wastewater and would sell 40,000 gallons per day of drinking water to Greenway.

Construction would start in 2010 and operations in 2012.

Mayor Jeff Lukken said Greenway will have a public information meeting to address other matters that don’t pertain to EPD regulations.

“It’s great that we vet these issues,” Lukken said at the hearing. “It’s important that we get it right.”

Wood smoke can result in respiratory problems that particularly affect young children, the elderly and people with cardiopulmonary disease, according to the American Lung Association.

“We must view biomass electric generators as serious threats to our health and the welfare of our environment,” Dr. Tom West of Gabbettville, a retired surgical oncologist, said in a prepared statement. “It is important to note that the proposed site for the biomass electric generator in LaGrange will be a hazard to all those who dwell in locations close to the generator and will be particularly at risk as these toxic emissions settle onto the places where they live and where many of our children will be in school under this toxic cloud.”

Dr. Margaret Schaufller said she was concerned about how strictly the state’s air quality regulations would be enforced.

“We permit according to the letter of the law,” Cornwell said. “… Sure, we could use more money and do more with more money. It goes back to the budget. We’d like to have EPD police at every plant that has an EPD permit. Unfortunately, we don’t have the resources to do that.”

He said there has to be “some level of trust. We tell them, ‘Don’t be lying to us, you have a permit and you need to follow this to a T.’ “

Laura Breyfogle of LaGrange asked Cornwell how he could be sure the wood that comes to the biomass plant would be clean, rather than treated or painted.

“We’re still figuring out how to do that,” Cornwell said.

Former Hogansville Mayor Bobby Cleveland urged the EPD to “be firm with these people. You’re not dealing with just us, but generations to come.”

“You should hold their feet to the fire and monitor them till the cows come home,” he said.

Mike Moses of Old Hutch-inson Mill Road said he’s not a bit concerned about the plant.

“Y’all are going to die some day, but it won’t be from this,” he said. “Y’all can read Sierra Club Weekly and be paranoid the rest of your life, but y’all need to welcome new energy.”

Joel Martin can be reached at jmartin@lagrangenews. com or (706) 884-7311, Ext. 235.