Jackson – Officials with the Buena Vista Biomass Power company last week took public comment and direction from the Amador Air District board of directors to answer questions raised. BVMP Managing Partner Mark Thompson answered some last Tuesday, and will answer more in a September 22nd meeting. But he also made it clear the company wants to open and will do what it needs to open. He said partners hope to get the plant “on line” by May or June of 2010. It has been extensively restored, since 2000. The plant has received a $2.4 million federal stimulus grant, awarded to Buena Vista Power through the U.S. Forest Service. He said wildfire emissions “are much more damaging that the project would be.” Regarding permitting, he said they will “not receive the permit to operate until we prove we can do what we say we can do.” Supervisor Richard Forster asked about monitoring, and if there was any way to get direct access or an immediate tie-in to monitoring data. Thompson said the “Sims System is exactly that,” a computer data relay system. He said they will have a metering system that organizes data, including “emissions, heat levels, output, conditions in the boiler – about 250 to 300 different numbers of data.” He said every 4 seconds it sends information to powerful software. Thompson said they will have 200 miles of coax cable and conduit, connecting software to 250 motors and valves throughout the plant, with all the sensors part of the “energy management system.” Thompson said the technology exists to have immediate data, but “it’s a massive amount of data.” Supervisor John Plasse asked about forest fuel sources for the plant. Thompson said Buena Vista Power had identified 180 slash piles in the Amador and El Dorado forest service district, and “we are working to contract for those.” He said each slash pile amounts to 8 to 10 loads per pile, and “that’s about 25,000 tons, or about 25 percent of what we would need to operate for a year, so there is some concern about getting enough fuel.” Top among the questions staff will try to answer is whether Buena Vista Power is legally required to conduct a new Environmental Impact Report or supplement, and whether the plant’s operation permit is transferrable. Thompson said Buena Vista Power will post answers to questions raised last week on its website, www.bv-biomass.com. The air district board next meets 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, September 22nd. Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.