Making Sure Biomass is a Clean, Renewable Source of Energy
Our current reliance on dirty energy sources is taking a toll on the environment and
public health. Renewable energy provides an opportunity to move toward a clean energy
future. We can generate clean energy by harnessing the power of the wind and sun.
Biomass also has the potential to help shift our reliance to renewable sources.
Unfortunately, the current definition of biomass in the energy bill is unclear, leaving it
open to broad interpretation. This means that dirty forms of energy, like municipal solid
waste (MSW or garbage) incineration, and unsustainable forms of energy, like burning
forest resources or plant material from conservation lands could be classified as
renewable, making them eligible for tax credits and subsidies.
Garbage Incineration is Dirty and Dangerous
Garbage incineration is dangerous and will cost taxpayers money. It results in extensive
emissions of toxic pollutants including dioxin and mercury. Garbage incinerators are also
responsible for environmental releases of a host of other highly toxic pollutants,
including PCBs, which can be created when waste is burned even though their production
has been banned in the U.S., and lead. Energy from true renewable energy sources like
wind and solar power do not emit dioxins, mercury, lead, PCBs, and other harmful
chemicals into the environment at all. An energy source that creates pollution is not
clean. We should not subsidize garbage incineration or any other dirty energy source.
Forest Resources are Limited
It is important to limit what can be taken from a forest to only small materials. Once
small materials have been used up, there will be severe economic pressure from industry
to cut larger and larger trees that are near the biomass facility. Cutting larger trees will
involve heavy equipment, roadbuilding, and other activities that are damaging to the
environment. The government should not subsidize environmentally damaging activities,
thus, eligibility of forest resources should be limited to small materials.
Biomass from Conservation Reserve Program (CRP)
The purpose of the CRP is to encourage farmers to plant resource-conserving covers to
improve soil, water and wildlife resources, and to retire their land from agricultural
production. For this reason, it is important to ensure that energy legislation does not
undermine the environmental purposes of the CRP: water quality protection, soil erosion
prevention and wildlife habitat enhancement.
Factory Farms Pollute the Environment
Large animal feeding operations are the source of substantial air, water and land
pollution. Giving incentives to these large factory farms simply perpetuates their
pollution.
THE SOLUTION
Oppose all incentives for using dirty and unsustainable forms of biomass energy.
Vote for Senator Fitzgerald’s amendment to define biomass to exclude
dirty and unsustainable sources of energy.
Oppose Senator Graham’s amendment to include garbage incineration
as a renewable energy source.
Oppose all attempts to add incentives for garbage incinerators to the tax
package.