More Disclosure Needed

In response to the article in the Dec. 2 CV Weekly regarding the Scholl Biogas Plant (“Biogas Debate Subject of Council Meeting”), the meeting was not a long, detailed and thorough discussion of the Scholl Biogas Plant, just long. Glendale Water & Power (GWP) got unlimited time (they used two hours) and we (representing Glenoaks Canyon) were allowed 10 minutes – not even an extra minute to introduce ourselves (hence some of the quotes, attributed to me, were made by GOCHA board member Marie Freeman).

GWP could have their people in the room; we could have no one (we were on WebEx). GWP was allowed a rebuttal. Fair and thorough?

The project will not generate 12 MW net power at the beginning because power is needed to compress and refrigerate the gas and cool the engines. Maintenance downtime will also reduce the average power. Perhaps it will net an average of eight or nine MW at the beginning and then will drop due to less methane from landfill. GWP has never reported net power numbers.

Flaring of gas produces less pollution, including less of all the major smog precursors and chemicals, which cause respiratory problems. There will be high pressure landfill gas lines, a potential fire risk with skin burns up to 200 feet away. There will be a 12,000-gallon tank of aqueous ammonia that can cause serious health problems up to 150 feet away. All of this will be one-third mile from a major fault line.

The appeal was supposed to decide whether the proposed project met the conditional use permit (CUP) requirements (consistency with general plan, not detrimental to health, safety and environment and consistent with present and future land uses). There was virtually no discussion about the CUP conditions by city council. It can be a wonderful project, but not meet the CUP requirements and therefore should not be done.

Is this project worth the risks? In a high-fire area that is supposed to become a park, surrounded by residential communities?

I urge [CVW] reporters to revisit this topic and talk to [members of the GOCHA]. In reporting on future city council business, when there is a disparity of time allotment it would be beneficial to note how much time was given to differing sides.

Jackie Gish
Glendale