THE PROPOSED BIOMASS PLANT would be constructed at the former Pepsi bottling plant in downtown Vancouver.
THE OLD PEPSI BOTTLING PLANT would be the location of the new biomass plant. The plant is already such good size that not much construction would need to be done for the new plant.
Plans to build a biomass plant in downtown Vancouver could potentially bring jobs into Clark County and would save the County and its tax payers money, said David Palmer, program manager for Schneider Electric, the private company that commissioners partnered with in July to build the plant.
However, plans to begin construction on the plant are not yet in the clear. On Aug. 15, officials from Schneider Electric filed an appeal to the City of Vancouver after Chad Eiken, Vancouver planning review manager, ruled Aug. 4 that a biomass facility isn’t allowed under City zoning codes.
The plant would be constructed at the former Pepsi bottling plant in downtown Vancouver, which means a whole new facility would not need to be built. Palmer said they would use the existing facility and simply make a few changes and add some equipment.
In their appeal, Schneider Electric lists reasons why they believe Eiken made an error in his ruling.
Palmer said the new plant would be a place where wood waste such as tree limbs would be burned. The facility would also act as a wood-fueled central heating plant by replacing fossil-fuel heated buildings with one central facility that uses the recycled forest debris as fuel. Palmer said this will provide a clean, renewable way to lower fuel costs and greenhouse gas emissions.
The plant would be located in an area zoned for light industrial use at 812 W. 11th St., Vancouver.
“We first looked into putting the plant in locations in the North County,” Palmer said. “We looked in the Chelatchie Prairie area and a few others. In the end, we decided we wanted to put it somewhere where we would be able to use it for heating.”
Palmer said no County funds will be used to build the new plant, as Clark County selected Schneider Electric as its partner to develop a proposal to build and operate the plant. Schneider Electric is proposing to finance, build and operate the new facility in return for a contract to provide heat to the County. The company would lease the site for the construction of the plant from the County and will use surplus heat to generate electricity that will be sold as renewable power.
Clark County currently operates 11 boilers serving buildings on its central downtown area. After replacing fossil-fuel heating with one that uses the forest debris as fuel, Palmer said the County would receive a total benefit of more than $11 million over the proposed 20-year term of the project.
The plant will also provide central heating, cooling and domestic water heating for five County buildings, including the Public Service Center, courthouse, jail, 9-1-1 center and the juvenile courthouse. Palmer said the use of the plant would save taxpayers an estimated $1.5 million over the next 20 years.
“The new plant will reduce fossil fuel emissions by about 28,660 tons per year, equivalent to removing 6,200 cars from roads or taking 3,700 homes off the electricity grid each year,” Palmer said.
Palmer said the new plant would also benefit areas of North Clark County because it would provide jobs, as there will be a need for people who can do the chipping and the transporting of the wood debris to the plant. He said it will also benefit forest landowners because they won’t have to put out those additional costs to deal with the debris themselves.
In July, commissioners Marc Boldt and Tom Mielke voted to sign a contract with Schneider Electric. Steve Stuart, the third county commissioner, did not support the project. Since the two commissioners voted to sign the contract, had the commissioners told the company that they were no longer interested in pursuing the biomass project, the County would have to pay Schneider Electric $75,000.
The County has a maximum liability of $395,000.
A hearing has been scheduled for Wed., Sept. 28, 6 p.m., at Vancouver City Hall in the Council Chambers, 415 W. Sixth St., Vancouver, to decide whether or not Schneider Electric can move forward with plans to build the plant. The losing side after the hearing could appeal to Clark County Superior Court. There is one other item on the docket for the hearing, so the issue of the biomass plant likely won’t be discussed until 7 p.m.
The hearing examiner will be Sharon Rice, an attorney from Shoreline.
Those in support of this project are encouraged to send/email letters of support, call their elected officials, testify at public hearings and educate other community leaders.
