[MCN] #TBT Dec 3, 2011: UM suspends $16MIL biomass plant proposal, apologizes for “eco-terrorist” comment

[Matthew Koehler]

U of Montana suspends biomass plant proposal, apologizes for
“eco-terrorist” comment

Posted by Matthew Koehler on December 3, 2011

Last fall, when news broke that the University of Montana was planning to
construct a $16 million wood-burning biomass plant on campus, the WildWest
Institute got together with some retired UM professors and University
neighborhood homeowners and began researching the proposal.

It quickly became apparent that many important questions and concerns were
going unanswered by UM officials, some of whom seemed to favor running a PR
campaign over a transparent, open public process. So, to get to the bottom
of what was really happening, we conducted an open records search of UM’s
biomass project file, which included poring over hundreds of electronic
communications between UM officials and biomass company executives.

What became so clear and so very troubling is that much of what we
discovered in these internal documents turned out to be the exact opposite
of what UM officials were telling the public.

For example, we turned up documents showing that the wood-burning biomass
plant would actual increase emissions, pollution and particulate matter
over the existing natural gas system. In fact, as was later reported in the
Missoulian, UM’s wood-burning biomass plant would release the emissions
equivalent of roughly 130 woodstoves burning on campus.

Anyone living in Missoula knows all too well about our poor air quality and
fragile airshed. The American Lung Association has regularly given Missoula
County an F-grade in their annual “State of the Air” report, although this
spring we were upgraded to a grade of D. An improvement yes, but still
nothing to gloat about.

Especially vulnerable to increased air pollution and particulates are
children, the elderly and those living with asthma and reduced respiratory
function. This is especially true during the winter months, when nasty
inversions and air quality alerts are common in our valley. So think for a
moment what a UM biomass plant pumping out the emissions equivalent of 130
woodstoves on campus would look like.

Equally as troubling was what we uncovered regarding the economics of this
project. To put it mildly, it’s been difficult to get an accurate
assessment from UM of the biomass plant’s up-front and long-term costs,
something all Montana taxpayers deserve. For starters, we noticed in the
project file that the cost of the project went from $10 million in April
2010 to $16 million by the end of the year.

When we carefully combed through UM’s financial pro forma, we also noticed
that the biomass plant would need nearly $27 million for additional
operation and maintenance expenses over the existing natural gas system
during just the first 40 years of operation.

The pro forma was also troubling in other aspects. It over-estimated the
cost of natural gas, while under-estimating the cost of wood fuel trucked
to campus. As natural gas prices continued to drop sharply over the past
year, UM refused to change their economic analysis to reflect this reality,
despite numerous and repeated requests from the public.

So too, when UM’s attempted to secure bids for wood fuel from timber
suppliers this summer, the deadline came and went without a single timber
company responding to UM’s request because they could not match UM’s
significantly rosy wood fuel cost projections. Again, UM refused to change
their economic analysis to reflect this reality.

Well, yesterday, Christmas came earlier for those who value clean air and
not wasting taxpayer dollars in tight economic times. UM President Royce
Engstrom took to the podium in Turner Hall to announce that the University
of Montana has suspended their wood-burning biomass plant indefinitely.

President Engstrom cited a number of reasons for suspending the biomass
project, which I must point out, are the same issues and concerns that have
continually been raised over the past year by WildWest Institute, Alliance
for Wild Rockies and a handful of concerned citizens.

President Engstrom also offered a public apology for the recent statement
made by UM Vice President Bob Duringer, in which Mr. Duringer claimed that
those of us concerned with aspects of the biomass project were engaged in a
“lower level of eco-terrorism.”

Finally, during the press conference it was also revealed that the
University paid over half a million dollars – $541,000 to be exact – to an
out-of-state consulting firm for the planning costs associated with this
now suspended biomass project. Too bad the University couldn’t turn by the
clock and put that half a million dollars towards some tried and true
methods of reducing carbon footprints focused on conservation and energy
efficiency.

As a University of Montana alum I’m pleased that UM finally pulled the plug
on this wood-burning biomass plant, even if the planning process over the
past year involved some unnecessary frustrations, headaches and $541,000.

At the end of the day, Missoula’s air quality – and Montana taxpayer
wallets – were protected. And those are things that are worth standing up
for all day, every day.
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