There is a proposal to build a large power plant in Billerica, just beyond the Chelmsford border. The plant address would be 134 Billerica Av, which can be found here on Google Maps. That's less than 5 miles from the Murdoch, Center, and Westlands schools.

What does Billerica get out of it? They get $1.5 million/year. That will cover less than 2% of their annual school budget. What do the rest of us in Chelmsford, Lowell, and Tewksbury get? Nothing.

If you want to know more about the proposed plant, a good place to start is http://www.billericapowerplant.org

A summary (if you consider 144 pages a summary) of the proposed plant can be found here.

Where we stand now:

The application filed by a national energy investment company in 2007 is pending before the Energy Facilities Siting Board at the state Department of Utilities. On Feb 19th, our state delegation released this letter, stating their concerns about the risks associated with this plant.. If you want to contact your state representative, please thank them for their support. They join state reps Bill Greene of Billerica and Jim Miceli of Tewksbury in opposing this plant.

Upcoming Action Items:

Contact our Board of Selectmen, to remind them how important this issue is to Chelmsford. Selectmen Chase and Elipoulos are on record as opposing the plant. The full Board will consider the issue at a meeting on February 25th.  Another point to raise with the selectmen is State Rep. Cory Atkins assertion in a letter to a constituent that:

"In order for Chelmsford to be mentioned in the final bill and for any action to be taken against the proposed power plant, local selectmen need to be contacted so that they can instruct their legislative delegation on their desires.  I urge you to petition to your selectmen about your concerns and organize in your community for further action to take place."

The bill which Rep. Atkins makes reference to is S2457, whose final form will be decided in committee. It appears there is a chance for Chelmsford to be included in the list of towns where power plants could not be situated within a mile of a school or residential area.

It would also be helpful to contact the members of the Chelmsford Board of Health and ask for their support as well. Contact information for the Board of Health can be found here.

Individual letters of opposition can also be sent to Mr. Ian Bowles, Secretary of the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs and our Governor, Deval Patrick. Here are sample letters for Sec. Bowles and Gov. Patrick, provided by a group of Chelmsford parents who write "We're asking people to send in their letters, then follow up with a call or email to let our officials know how concerned we are and to keep this issue top of mind."

Please note that the letters need to be edited by adding your name and signature as well as the date before they are sent. Places where edits are necessary have been highlighted in red. In addition, any personal touches that you add to the standard letter will go a long way toward making your letter more effective. Politicians pay attention when people take the time to send them letters, but personalized appeals are even more effective.

S2457:

State Senator Robert Creedon  inserted an amendment in the state Clean Energy Bill that states “no energy facility, electric generating facility or power plant shall be located an area which is less than a mile in linear distance from a playground, daycare center, school, church area of critical environmental concern” or “are occupied by residential housing.”

OpenMass is a great tool for tracking the progress of legislation and the page for S2457 can be found here.

The Senate bill and corresponding House bill (H4373) have already been "passed to be engrossed".  Since Creedon's amendment cleared the Senate but failed in the House a joint committee will decide whether to include it in the final bill. Additional towns may also be inserted into the language of the amendment if it is included.

Other news:

You can sign an online petition to oppose this plant.

2/22/08  You can vote in an online poll here

2/20/08 Chelmsford Independent article on the proposed power plant.

2/09/08  "White House Visitor Center Evacuated" after an ammonia spill.

2/07/08  "Opposition to power plant" from the Tewksbury Advocate.

On January 31, the Tewksbury Board of Selectmen voted to oppose this plant. A copy of their letter to the State can be found here. The Tewksbury Board of Health hasd also written a strongly worded letter opposing the plant to Secretary Bowles. A copy may be found here.

Medical Management Guidelines for Ammonia (used in the plant for pollution control purposes) can be found here