We had our second Dioxin Education Committee meeting on Monday, October 13th at the Southside Community Center at 4 pm. Twenty-seven people were present.
We began with a welcome by Linda Draper who introduced our board members. They are: Chair – Linda Draper, Vice-chair – Gene Leis, Secretary – Bill Bynum, BEC representative – Patrizia Hironimus, Liaison – Jean Marquardt, and board members Nannette Walker and Don Noble.
Linda then gave an overview of why we are meeting, and I read the notes from our last meeting. We then briefly went around the room and made introductions since there were about a dozen new attendees.
Linda had passed out several papers for everyone to read. They were “Dioxin in Oroville, Summary and Recommendations” from the Public Health Department of Environmental Health, “Sierra Club Policy on Forest Biomass as Energy Production”, “Is There Still Dioxin on the Site at S. 5th Avenue, Oroville?”, and a summary of the timeline for the Biomass Plant from the city’s perspective.
Next, Skipper Clark presented a proposal to the group. He would like to form a working group to analyze the BREI Gasification plant from the point of view of the 3 main stakeholders. Those are:
- BREI and their partners and investors.
- Those entities focusing mainly on the benefits of the proposed plant.
- Those concerned with new pollution that will be emitted and those aware of the realities of new logging that will be required.
If you would like to help out with this working group, you can contact Skipper at skipperclark3924@gmail.com
Skipper also gave the group a list of people we could contact with concerns about the Biomass plant. They were:
- PG&E spokesperson/microgrid initiatives group.
- Jim Houtman-director of forest health,Butte County fire safe council (copy of biomass feasibility study and second feasibility study).
- Harvesting entities listed in Ecostrat’s BDO rating study.
- Ken Scheer – biochar initiative.
- Loren Dubberke-VP community engagement, Yosemite Clean Energy (are they partnering with OroCarb/Bryan Wong?)
- OurEnergyPolicy-good resource.
- Valerie Navarro – Oroville resident, knowledgeable about carbon credits.
- Local chapter of the American Lung Association – do they know pollution experts we can call on?
- California Air Resources Board – have the air quality compliance standards been met for the BRIE project?
- Shaye Wolf – climate science director at the Center for Biological Diversity – would they be willing to share their Public Records Act requests, explain BREI project to them.
- Deputy Chief John McCarthy – oversees CDF wood products and bioenergy program.
- Ryan Bauer – Plumas Protection Plan – read Grist article.
- Zeke Lunder – GIS, controlled burning and logging expert (blog “The Lookout”).
- Butte College – have they been contacted by BREI?
- Angela Avery – executive director, Sierra Nevada Conservancy.
- Tubit Enterprises – Doug Lindgren, supplies biofuels to power plants in NorCal (Burney Forest Power, Camptonville biomass plant online in 2026)BREI partner?
- Patrick Piatt – director of community development/Wes Irwin-city planner (note: I have and will continue to work with them) they may be the only access to BREI.
PLEASE NOTE THIS IS A DRAFT DOCUMENT ONLY FOR INTERNAL DISCUSSION
Skipper’s presentation was followed by a Q & A. Again, if you would like to help out with reaching out to any of these contacts, please contact Skipper at the above email address.
Next, Don Noble made two suggestions that were well received. His first was that we should reach out to the legal community to see if we can get a lawyer who would be willing to represent our group “Pro bono” with the filing of an injunction if necessary. His other suggestion was that we could take out a full page 3 ad in the local newspaper letting people know about the upcoming town hall on December 10. That would alert the community to what is happening, and hopefully bring more attention to this project. Linda agreed to work with Skipper on creating a message for that ad. The cost of the ad would be covered by donations from the members of the DEC. We have already received commitments from several of our members. If you would like to chip in, please respond to me directly by email or by texting me at 530-403-7401.
Patrizia then suggested that our members register their opposition to the biomass proposal by emailing the Butte County Supervisors at clerkoftheboard@buttecounty,net. Kathy Brazil has already done so. You can also email the Oroville City Council at cityclerk@cityoforoville.org.
Our next meeting is scheduled for Monday, November 3rd at 5 pm at the Southside Community Center.
Bill Bynum
Secretary, Dioxin Education Committee