Biomass has regularly had both proponents and opponents on both sides of the issue regarding its usage for some time now, with many people fearing the additional pollution the usage of biomass might bring into the environment over other energy sources. Such a concern was the primary point of discussion at a recent meeting in Rothschild, Wisconsin where 150 people from the town of 5000 turned up to discuss a new biomass energy production facility planned to open up near their town at a paper mill.

The biomass energy plant would burn waste wood products in order to generate both heat and steam in order to provide power for both the existing paper mill as well as the surrounding area and help to contribute to the state’s current mandate where 10% of all energy generated within the state must be from renewable sources by 2015.

Opponents, on the other hand, fear that the power plant would contribute substantially to the pollutants to be released into the air each day, especially as the plant would be relatively near a local elementary school. A few of the more outspoken opponents feel that the particulate that would be released into the air along with the regular supply of trucks to provide biomass for the plant’s energy generation process (roughly 75 dump trucks each day) would post cancer, asthma and other general risks to all residents in the area – particularly children.

Spokesmen for the power plant, however, state that the current wood mill produces 644 tons of air pollutants annually, while with the biomass energy facility this figure would actually drop to 457 tons. No representatives appeared at the local gathering, however, to address issues.

While this may seem to be a small problem in a local area many biomass advocates feel that this is actually a common issue that needs to be addressed in the future for biomass energy to be developed successfully, and until further proof can be given to biomass’ benefits public outcry such as that found in this case will continue to limit biomass power plant developments around the world.

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