Plagued by litigation, courtroom drama and months of rainy weather, Aspen Power's North Lufkin biomass plant has resumed getting off the ground.
On Monday, work crews were at the plant's site off Kurth Drive, taking advantage of the dry weather and moving forward with construction.
Steven Alford/The Lufkin Daily News |
Construction workers took advantage of the sunny weather Monday as they resumed construction of Aspen Power's North Lufkin biomass power plant.
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"It's going to take us about 11 months to complete," said Woodie Evans, construction manager for Angelina Fuels. "This is our first real work day since we got the permit and we're glad to be back to work."
On Oct. 26, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality re-issued an air quality permit to Aspen Power, authorizing construction and operation on the 50-megawatt biomass power plant.
The following day, the Environmental Protection Agency concurred the permit and informed the company it could resume construction, which had been suspended since March.
The permit was granted with a few extra provisions — increasing environmental safeguards such as making the plant produce less emissions than originally proposed.
"Aspen agreed to the additional controls, including the installation of selective catalytic reduction technology to further reduce nitrogen oxide emissions," said Robin Morse, Aspen Power attorney. "Aspen also agreed to add catalytic oxidation and enlarge the electrostatic precipitator to further reduce organic and particulate emissions."
The resumed construction of the plant has restored 75 construction jobs to Lufkin, an Aspen press release stated.
Once operational, the plant will directly employ 50 local residents and will result in 200 additional permanent jobs in the Lufkin area, Morse said.
"We're excited. We've been supportive of the project and what it will do for the community from day one," said Jim Wehmeier, director of economic development for the city of Lufkin.
"It's roughly a $130 million project which will go right onto the tax rolls, with over 100 jobs paying well above minimum wage. It's a very positive project for the area and not to mention the first of its kind for Texas," he said.
An economic impact study paid for by the city estimates the Aspen project will add $236 million to the local economy during its first 10 years.
The biomass plant is a renewable energy project which will burn clean wood debris generated by timber harvesting, sawmill and municipal maintenance/storm cleanup activities, a press release stated.
The plant is scheduled to begin operations in late 2010.
Steven Alford's e-mail address
is jalford@lufkindailynews.com.
