U.S.: Groups Oppose Tax Credits for Biomass Burning

Groups Oppose Tax Credits for 
 Biomass Burning

 Contact: Attorney Margaret Sheehan, 508-259-9154, meg(at)ecolaw(dot)biz

 A national coalition of 48 citizen and environmental groups today 
 launched a nationwide campaign to end federal financing for biomass 
 incinerators being called “green energy.”   The groups delivered 
 letters to Senate Finance Committee Chairs Max Baucus (D-MT) and 
 Charles Grassley (R-IA) in response to increased lobbying by the 
 Biomass Power Association, timber, waste and energy companies 
 seeking to create or extend lucrative tax credits for burning 
 biomass (trash, tires, and anything else) to produce electric power. 
 The groups say the biomass plants pose an undue risk to public 
 health and the environment.

             The letter says promoting these incinerators with public 
 subsidies “on the false claim that it is “green” electricity is 
 indefensible public policy.” The letter contains a chart comparing 
 biomass emissions to coal, concluding that, “Current research, data 
 from company permits and proposals, environmental impact reports, 
 and government analyses show that for several key pollutants 
 (notably CO2, NOx and particulates) biomass burning is “dirty 
 energy” – worse than coal – and not “clean energy” as the industry 
 claims.”

 The letter notes that the 20,000-member Massachusetts Medical 
 Society recently resolved to adopt a policy opposing biomass power 
 plants on the grounds that they pose ‘an unacceptable health risk,’ 
 and that similar resolutions have been passed by the American Lung 
 Association of New England and the Florida Medical Society, in 
 response to a spate of biomass power plant proposals in recent years.

 “President Obama has announced a freeze on domestic spending for 
 next year’s budget.  There are two hundred biomass plants lining up 
 for grants in lieu of tax credits under the stimulus package, at a 
 cost to taxpayers of at least a half a billion dollars.  Ending 
 subsidies for incinerators falsely claiming to be clean energy is a 
 good place to start cleaning up the federal budget deficit,” said 
 Attorney Margaret Sheehan, spokesperson for the group.