Webinar held to address possible Springfield biomass plant

SPRINGFIELD, MA (WGGB/WSHM) - The Public Health Institute of Western Massachusetts hosted an public webinar to once again address the potential biomass plant in Springfield. It provided information on the health impacts of biomass burning and an opportunity to pass a law to end state financial incentives for biomass.                

Two recent court decisions have revived permits for the plant, but community groups and health advocates have been fighting against it for more than a decade. A lot of local leaders were in attendance, including State Senator Adam Gomez, who said while the facility is not safe, this recurring topic of discussion needs to end. “What many of us call a zombie plant because no matter how many times it’s defeated, it keeps coming back to life. This facility is not new and it’s not needed,” he explained.

Gomez said it would burn over 1,200 tons of wood each day by pumping out dangerous gases in the heart of East Springfield, an area that already suffers heavily from asthma.