Buena Vista – The former Cogen wax plant has drawn a power company to Amador County, seeking to reactivate as a cleaner-burning, all-biodegradable power source. The Amador Air District board of directors will host a public meeting August 25th about the plant’s proposed reopening. The meeting will allow all interested parties to comment on “reactivation of the power plant” at 4655 Coral Mine Road in Jackson Valley, near Ione. Oral and written comments may be submitted during the meeting, and written comments can be delivered to the Air District office no later than August 24th. A newspaper legal notice of the public said the “power plant will be reactivated under new ownership in 2010.” Buena Vista Biomass managing partner Mark Thompson said last week at a tour of the plant that they hope to reopen the plant by May or June of next year. The notice said the plant was initially approved for operation in the early 1980s, and it exclusively “burned only lignite, a primitive form of coal,” which was mined around the site. In 1998, a Supplemental Environmental Impact Report was approved for the plant owners, changing the fuel mixtures to 20 percent lignite, and 80 percent ag waste, urban wood waste, offset fuels, demolition material or “tire derived fuels.” The notice said “when the facility is reactivated, it will burn only the previously allowed woody biomass fuels,” and “all other fuels will be eliminated. Lignite and tire derived fuels will no longer be burned.” It said “emissions of air pollutants will be reduced by more than 50 percent by this action.” Thompson said at the open house last week that there would be a “97 percent particulate reduction.” He said they are not a coal plant, but strictly wood and biomass burning facility. The objective is to operate the combustion powered steam generators and market the resulting 18.3 megawatts. He said they would burn about 110,000 “bone-dry tons a year,” and 200,000 to 300,000 “green tons a year.” The latter has 30 to 40 percent moisture content. They will employ up to 60 people during the construction phase, and will employ 20 full-time people when they open, and will run 7 days a week, 24 hours a day. Thompson said they should have an annual salary in excess of $2.3 million. The meeting is 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, August 25th at the supervisors’ chambers, 810 Court Street in Jackson. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.