Of Interest to Rockingham County Readers

Thanks patient readers, for your attention while I recap the recent experience in Page County with the potential Fibrowatt plant here.  Hopefully you'll find this a useful summary, even if you have already read or heard some of this material in the past. 

Because they pitch the technology as green, make a lot of noise about the construction jobs that come with the plant and the residual 30 to 50 jobs that may be created once the plant is up and running, and because they tell a story that other uses of chicken litter will soon be illegal, Fibrowatt tends to get very favorable press. They build upon this with an M.O. that involves locking up support from the poultry industry before the general public learns about them, and then sequestering public discourse with NDAs to local government officials, officials who may be ill-informed about what should and shouldn't be discussed with the citizens they represent - so that Fibrowatt can advance their plans out of the watchful eyes of interested citizens.


After the Page County Board sent a letter thanking Fibrowatt for their interest, but saying that they didn't think the industry fit in with the areas plans, FW has moved on - featured in PN&C and DNR article last month. We've heard they are looking at other locations, probably including Elkton and Waynesboro as alternatives.

Our arguments against FW in Page County centered on three main points:

First, environmental concerns - the FW technology is an incineration process, and there are byproducts. They need a 300-foot stack to disperse the steam and particulate matter - which includes a number of toxins, which they argue are released in miniscule amounts. The follow-up question is, if that is a 7/24/365 operation, when does miniscule become an amount that is overwhelming? Also, there is the matter of the semi truck traffic that will be required to haul the litter - as many as 100 trucks a day making round trips into the plant - the roads aren't designed for this and that is a lot of carbon released through truck exhaust. One could argue that the alternative disposal of chicken litter this way will have a positive impact on watersheds and the Chesapeake Bay, but if litter is respectfully spread with proper and legal regard for proximity to watersheds and the Bay, this isn't a problem in the first place.

Second, the economic impacts - FW claims to create construction jobs, which are short-term or contract-based during the construction period. They are not continuous and require periodic work according to the construction schedule for the plant. Then there is the claim that there are a residual 30+ jobs once the plants open - these jobs come at the cost of eliminating one group of jobs, the independent distributor of chicken litter - we were never satisfied that we could get an accurate count of the net increase in jobs, because these impacts were understated or ignored. Another point is the actual competition for materials that FW will go into once the plant is operational - they mix the litter with wood chips (the raw material that makes up litter) to control humidity for optimal burning. So they compete on the resource side with a potential impact that increases raw materials prices for the farmers. Last one, they enter into long-term contracts with the farmers for the litter at reduced prices - this we heard from our own farmers who said they'd have to do better than that to be taken seriously - creating a squeeze by reducing revenues at the same time as increasing costs.

Third one - the Valley relies on tourism as a major industry, and along the South Fork this means we have to respect the Shenandoah National Park interests in the view shed. The 300-foot stack is one thing, but the continuous output from the stack adding to summertime air quality is quite another. I won't go into the details about the particulates being part of acid rain, etc.

Now, there is a concentration of industrial uses at Elkton and Waynesboro. But it seems to me that this plant has adverse impacts that need to be considered in thorough detail before they are located here. I'd make it clear, as I did in my blog, I'm not so averse to this kind of a plant having a role in the future, as long as you get the location correct - no pocket valleys where the output can residually settle, like Page Valley, etc. I'm not so familiar with the Winchester, but that seems a more optimal location as far as proximity to the poultry industry goes.

There just seem to be a lot of risks associated with the potential plant. We know they are already communicating with Robin Sullenberger and that organization, and they are working over the poultry association. They're lobbying for favorable laws and regulations, and tax breaks and incentives in the state. All of this quietly, out of sight and sound with the general public, who will only be told once the negotiations have progressed to a point where there is no turning back.

So Rockingham County, the sights are now set on your loaction for a potential plant.  I've recapped our analysis above, but you can read more by clicking on the Fibrowatt label below or in the labels column to the right.  And there is plenty more available on both sides of the issue with a simple we search.  You need to start thinking now about what you want to see happen in your area especially now that the prospect is on the table, having moved south into your area, where Elkton and Waynesboro are being considered for plant locations.