Amador County – The Amador County Planning Commission on Tuesday postponed a decision on final environmental documents and permitting for the Buena Vista Biomass Power plant.

The commission held a public hearing on the certification of the “Final Subsequent Environmental Impact Report” and considered “possible project approval for the Buena Vista Biomass Power use permit amendment” before continuing the decision to November 30th.

Buena Vista Biomass is “proposing the repowering and conversion of an existing 18.5-megawatt (lignite-fired) electric generation facility to a renewable wood waste biomass energy facility.”

County Planner Nate Lishman said the Commission directed staff to answer questions raised by the public in the hearing, and also questions brought up by individual commissioners. After the public hearing, the commission had substantial discussions and “directed staff to respond to key areas,” with noise and lighting being the “big ones.”

The commission directed staff to address comments received in seven letters that came during the meeting Tuesday. Letters came from several local Jackson Valley residents and also the Center for Biological Diversity, a national organization with a San Francisco office, which has been commenting on the Buena Vista Biomass Power plant’s attempt to reopen the plant on Coal Mine Road.

Lishman said the center was concerned with the biomass industry in general, with one of the big issues being that it is touted as a “carbon-neutral energy source.” Lishman said “that’s sort of partially true, so long as you are not harvesting timber specifically for fuel.”

He said the Center was concerned that there is not enough fuel to be gotten from the region’s forest management to fuel the Buena Vista plant, and it would be forced to close. The former Co-Gen plant similarly had to close in the early 1990s, he said, when it lost its ample supply of lignite.

The center is also looking at air quality and a state greenhouse gas analysis, which is “all so new,” Lishman said, and may be trying to set a national precedent with the Buena Vista plant. He thought the EIR preparer, Ascent Environmental, did a thorough job with the analyses.

Staff was directed to alleviate concerns and comments of the public, and also of commissioners, from their own review of the EIR. Lishman said: “Everything we have to date we will be able to respond to.”

There was also a letter from the applicant requesting changes to clarify the intent of mitigation in the Final SEIR.

The public hearing was closed during the meeting, and Lishman said it would be at Chairman Ray Ryan’s discretion whether the public hearing is reopened at the next meeting, 7 p.m. Tuesday, November 30th.

Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Amador County – The Amador County Planning Commission on Tuesday postponed a decision on final environmental documents and permitting for the Buena Vista Biomass Power plant.

The commission held a public hearing on the certification of the “Final Subsequent Environmental Impact Report” and considered “possible project approval for the Buena Vista Biomass Power use permit amendment” before continuing the decision to November 30th.

Buena Vista Biomass is “proposing the repowering and conversion of an existing 18.5-megawatt (lignite-fired) electric generation facility to a renewable wood waste biomass energy facility.”

County Planner Nate Lishman said the Commission directed staff to answer questions raised by the public in the hearing, and also questions brought up by individual commissioners. After the public hearing, the commission had substantial discussions and “directed staff to respond to key areas,” with noise and lighting being the “big ones.”

The commission directed staff to address comments received in seven letters that came during the meeting Tuesday. Letters came from several local Jackson Valley residents and also the Center for Biological Diversity, a national organization with a San Francisco office, which has been commenting on the Buena Vista Biomass Power plant’s attempt to reopen the plant on Coal Mine Road.

Lishman said the center was concerned with the biomass industry in general, with one of the big issues being that it is touted as a “carbon-neutral energy source.” Lishman said “that’s sort of partially true, so long as you are not harvesting timber specifically for fuel.”

He said the Center was concerned that there is not enough fuel to be gotten from the region’s forest management to fuel the Buena Vista plant, and it would be forced to close. The former Co-Gen plant similarly had to close in the early 1990s, he said, when it lost its ample supply of lignite.

The center is also looking at air quality and a state greenhouse gas analysis, which is “all so new,” Lishman said, and may be trying to set a national precedent with the Buena Vista plant. He thought the EIR preparer, Ascent Environmental, did a thorough job with the analyses.

Staff was directed to alleviate concerns and comments of the public, and also of commissioners, from their own review of the EIR. Lishman said: “Everything we have to date we will be able to respond to.”

There was also a letter from the applicant requesting changes to clarify the intent of mitigation in the Final SEIR.

The public hearing was closed during the meeting, and Lishman said it would be at Chairman Ray Ryan’s discretion whether the public hearing is reopened at the next meeting, 7 p.m. Tuesday, November 30th.

Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Amador County – The highest-ranking officers of the state’s Veterans of Foreign Wars department will visit Winton in Merced County this weekend to meet with member from local posts and discuss issues facing District 13.

District 13 is home to one of the highest concentrations of veterans in California. It encompasses Amador, Calaveras, Merced, San Joaquin, Stanislaus and Tuolumne counties.

The annual visit will feature local representatives like Barbara Wieland, President of the Amador County VFW Ladies Auxiliary, who said she will go if weather permits. Wieland said top issues for her group include increasing membership, funding and putting together packages to send to troops oversees.

In attendance will be Denis Wells, VFW State Commander and Judy Jones, Ladies Auxiliary State President. Both are expected to discuss the state of veteran’s affairs on a state level, as well as specific plans to better serve veterans in local communities.

Wells joined the VFW after serving in the U.S. Air Force for more than 20 years, retiring as a master sergeant. He served two tours of duty at Tuy Hoa Airbase in the Republic of Vietnam, assigned as an airborne firefighter/rescue man on the H43 helicopter. He joined the VFW in 1985 at Post 7792 in Winton. He became a lifetime member in 1986. He served as one of only five All State District Commanders from 1997-1998. He also currently serves as the District 13 Assistant Quartermaster and the Post Service Officer.

Jones has been an active member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Ladies Auxiliary since February 1990. She is considered a leading activist for the continuance and adoption of veteran entitlements. She is also a member of the Auxiliary of Disabled American Veterans and the Military Order of the Purple Heart, Unit 106.

The visit takes place November 19-21 at the VFW Post 7792 at 7093 Walnut Avenue in Winton. The proceedings start Friday at 6 p.m. with a dinner and awards ceremony.

Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Amador County – Two new “apps” for iPhone or Android mobile devices are providing citizens with a more efficient way to report conditions needing attention in their area.

Both applications were created in response to the popularity of applications for mobile devices, which are easy to download and can help users perform specific tasks or follow interests.

The City of Jackson recently worked with App-Order.com to create an application that will allow residents or visitors to use their “mobile devices to report conditions needing city attention such as potholes, water leaks, graffiti and other neighborhood enhancement items,” according to the city’s website. Users can snap a photo of the problem, add a description and then send it to the city. The application is called “myJackson” and can be found either in the iTunes store for the iPhone or the Android store for phones based on this software platform.

Another application called “Creek Watch” was also released recently. It was developed by the State Water Resources Council as a way for concerned citizens to monitor local watersheds by snapping a photo and providing information. It was developed because in many regions, creeks are too numerous to be effectively monitored by local water boards. “Whenever you pass by a waterway, spend a few seconds using the ‘Creek Watch’ application to snap a picture and report how much water and trash you see,” says IBM, the applications’ creator.

Water officials have billed the technology as “water quality wherever they go.” The “app” asks users to provide a picture along with data including the amount of water, flow rates and the amount of trash.

According to Christine Robson of IBM’s Almaden Research Center in San Jose, “ ‘Creek Watch’ lets the average citizen contribute to the health of their water supply - without PhDs, chemistry kits, and a lot of time.”

Story by Alex Lane This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Amador County – The Amador County Recreation Agency put the finishing touches on a nine-hole flying disc golf course on Wednesday with the placement of sponsor signage on the tee pads of the golf course at Mollie Joyce Park in Pioneer.

Fundraising and donations have paid for nearly all of the costs. Program Director Matt Nestor estimated about $15,000 from seven businesses in Amador County has gone into the disc golf course so far, not counting his hours worked on the project.

The Jackson Rancheria was the main donor, purchasing nine of the baskets used in the game, played like golf, but with a Frisbee-type flying disc. Brandon and Jamie Wedge at Play It Again Sports sponsored a tenth basket. Nestor said the Disc Golf Association gave the agency a discount of 10 percent on the purchase.

The signs themselves were also built and donated by Kam Merzlak of Merzlak Signs, and the sign posts were donated by Ferguson Plumbing. Justin Agustin of Agustin Custom Cabinetry donated auger work with his Bobcat at the site, and also welded the signs onto their posts. Nestor mounted the sponsor signs into the ground on Wednesday with concrete.

Lynch’s Auto donated a bulldozer and the clearing of large swaths of scrub oak, weeds and manzanitas to build the fairways for the golf course. Pine Grove CYA fire camp crews also did some clearing at the park last year. Another sponsor, Kirkwood Mountain Resort, has loaned baskets to ACRA for the last three years, including for a tournament at Kennedy Mine. Kirkwood also donated mounting sleeves for the baskets.

Nestor plans to try to get another nine holes set up by way of creating alternate basket settings on the front nine. This would allow for the planning of a tournament. He said ACRA is shooting for a tournament on Martin Luther King Day in January, 2011.

At least a dozen local and regional disc golfers helped design the course, which is planned to have a trail system. A trail now leads from the Mollie Joyce Nature Center to the park, where two baseball fields have been reclaimed from being grown over with weeds.

Plans include a weekly tournament at the course, most likely on Saturdays, and the course is open to play for free, seven days a week, when the park is open.

Nestor said volunteers interested in helping with the disc golf course can call him at ACRA at (209) 223-6349.

Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.