EPA Demands New Permit from New Hampshire Biomass Plant

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has said that a Hopkinton, N.H.-based wood-burning power plant must reapply for a new state permit before it can operate, according to a report in the Union Leader (Manchester, N.H.).

The EPA has agreed with action taken by the state Department of Environmental Services (DES) in March, requiring Bio Energy to submit to a stricter permitting process to burn construction and demolition debris.

This decision is the latest in a protracted legal battle over Bio Energy’s operations. According to local media reports, the company had operated a wood-fueled power plant from 1983 until 2001. It then shut down and pursued permits to allow it to burn wood from the C&D debris stream. Permits were issued by the state Department of Environmental Services (DES) and later revoked when the DES said the company had withheld information during the permitting process.