Hi Steve,
I'm wondering if you know about the proposed expansion of Exelon West Medway. They have filed with the Siting Board a petition to build a 200 Megawatt dual fuel (Natual gas and ULSD) peaker plant at its current site in West Medway. If you look at the maps on the website: www.stopmedwaypeaker.com - you will see there will be significant pollution also effecting Holliston, Bellingham and Franklin. - especially important to those Franklin residents who live on the Medway/Bellingham line and businesses including Franklin Country Day Camp.
Here are some highlights of the project:
- 97,000 to 190,000 gallons of water used per day. Source is unknown at this time but it will draw from the Charles River Watershed.
- Over 700,000 tons of Co2 generated per year (according to the Conservation Law Foundation it will be the 6th dirtiest plant in the Commonwealth when up and running in 2018)
- 160 foot smoke stacks (current zoning allows for 70 feet)
- 50 foot buffer wall for noise mitigation
- 1,000,000 gallon storage tank for ULSD - (OIL)
- 16,000 gallons of aqueous Ammonia stored on site
- The location of the plant is on the West Medway, Bellingham, and Franklin town lines.
- They are looking to tap into the Algonquin gas pipeline, and their potential route goes through wetlands.
- There are 5 day care centers, Medway High School, Choate Park in the town of Medway that are within a 3km radius of the plant. There are also several organizations and a school from Franklin and Bellingham in close proximity as well.
As a family community, Medway isn't the right place to put such a large power plant. In fact, the Town of Medway adopted a master plan in 2009 that promotes industrial/business growth, but also set up to protect the environment. Our master plan states:
"The reduction and prevention of pollution at all levels is a goal that makes sense both from health and budgetary perspectives. Short-term gains in growth and/or tax revenue that produce potential long-term harm to Medway's environment must be avoided."
"93% of the 2009 MMPC Survey respondents think that the quality of drinking water and conservation are important. Water quality was a concern of residents responding to the 1999 Master Plan and continues to be an even bigger issue at this time."
"73% of the respondents to the 2009 Master Plan Survey believe that protecting the rural, small town character of Medway was important. Likewise, maintaining the "sense of hometown community" was a common sentiment in the 2009 Survey."
Here are some links that you may be interested in:
http://web1.env.state.ma.us/dpu/fileroom# - Siting Boards filing site. The Docket is ESFB15-01.
WEBSITE:
Medway is a community which is enjoyed for its character and charm. Residents don't want to see that lost due to this project.
For our Neighbors in Franklin, it should be known that (if approved) Medway will received approx $2.5 MILL per year for 20 years while neighboring communities will see no monetary gain but will suffer the effects of decreased property values, increased traffic and pollution. In past proposals, hearings were held in surrounding towns - this time, there is currently no indication of informing or involving surrounding communities.
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