“I can’t be settled that we aren’t creating a health hazard,” said Gore, a cardiologist.
Gore, who didn’t seek another four-year term in this year’s elections, said he would vote against the plant if a vote were taken before he leaves office Dec. 31.
He said the local medical society has discussed the plant, which would burn wood to produce electricity, but hasn’t taken a stance on it.
“A number of physicians in the medical society are concerned about potential pollution,” he said. “I can’t really evaluate fully each side. There seem to be valid points on each side.”
Councilman Bobby Traylor also has doubts about the plant, saying it should have maximum controls against pollution, not just what’s required by the state Environmental Protection Division.
“Maybe we ought to demand the tighter controls,” Mayor Jeff Lukken said.
The EPD last month approved Greenway Renewable Power’s application for an air-quality permit. The $170 million plant would generate enough electricity for 30, 000 homes by burning chipped wood waste.
Greenway, a wholly owned subsidiary of Rollcast Energy Inc. in Charlotte, N. C., plans to build 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 to cool the plant and would sell 40,000 gallons per day of drinking water.
Council won’t have a say in whether the plant goes into operation, but would vote only on a contract for the treated wastewater. The plant could still get the water from another source, such as a deep well, and could demand drinking water from the city, although it would be more expensive than wastewater.
“We can’t stop the plant, but we can make it more expensive to operate,” City Manager Tom Hall said.
The national and state Sierra clubs support biomass energy, but local Sierra Club members are split, Lukken said.
Lukken said a lot of misinformation has appeared in newspaper letters to the editor, such as the city being liable if the development authority issued construction bonds. The city would have no liability, Lukken said, also noting that certain pollution data has been misstated in the letters.
The mayor said it’s not clear whether the plant will even be built because it depends on market conditions.
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