By Jennifer Claise
Staff Writer

IS THIS MY FUTURE? – Molly Horrigan, 4, of Hopkinton holds an anti-lead sign at the Oct. 21 rally at Hopkinton Town Hall. On Monday, Nov. 29, the New England-based environmental organization, Toxics Action Center, “honored” Bio Energy owners with the Dirty Dozen Award for being one of the state’s top polluters. (Cindy Martin Photo)

HOPKINTON – Claiming Bio Energy owners used false and misleading information in its permit application, state environmental regulators plan to revoke the plant’s permit to burn construction debris at its West Hopkinton facility.

According to Department of Environmental Services officials, Bio Energy and its permit holder, Regenesis Corporation, will have a chance to contest these allegations at a hearing scheduled for Friday, Jan. 7, at the DES offices in Concord.

After the hearing, regulators will make a final decision on whether to revoke the permits.

The plant, which for almost two decades operated as a wood-burning power plant, shut down in 2001. The company now plans to burn wood chips made from construction and demolition debris, a material that frequently contains wood tainted with lead, arsenic and mercury.

Last year, the DES approved the company’s permit to emit up to 2.6 tons of toxins into the air annually.

Opponents of the plan fear that toxins emitted from the plant would be harmful to the environment and the health of the community.

Scott Flood, a member of Resident’s Environmental Action Committee for Health (REACH) – the community group working to derail Bio Energy’s plans – said the announcement that state regulators hope to pull the plant’s permit was a small victory in what has been a long battle for the group.

“This marks a huge change in (the DES’s) manner of thinking in this regard,” Flood said. “In this case, they’ve found that fraud has been committed.”

Among other violations, state officials claim William Dell’Orfano, Bio Energy founder and president, certified on a permit application that no company director or officer had been convicted of a felony in the past five years.

But Antonio DiNapoli, Bio Energy vice president, was convicted of witness tampering – a felony – in 2002.

Dirty Dozen
Bio Energy owners also came under fire on Monday, Nov. 29, when the New-England based Toxics Action Center awarded Bio Energy the dubious honor of receiving the “Dirty Dozen” award.

The eighth annual award spotlights Bio Energy for being one of New England’s top 12 polluters.

“The reason why we’re honoring them this year is because they pose serious public health threats to the community,” said Lindsey Hodel, a member of the Toxics Action Center.

Hodel tried to present the framed certificate to Bio Energy officials at a Monday, Nov. 29, press conference but no one answered the office door.

“Perhaps their humility prevented them from accepting this great prize,” joked State Rep. Richard Kennedy, who has been working with residents in opposition of the plant’s plans to burn wood chips made from construction and demolition debris – a cheaper fuel source –at its plant on Route 127.

Paul Young, a spokesman for Bio Energy, said the company doesn’t give much credibility to the Toxics Action Committee.

“It’s hard to take a group seriously that would give out that type of award to a plant that’s not even operating,” Young said. “I guess zero emissions isn’t enough for them.”

Young said when the facility does reopen, it will be one of the cleanest plants of its type in New England.

He also said the company stands ready to defend itself at the Jan. 7 DES hearing.

“They welcome the opportunity to address these issues in a public forum, and to clear the air,” Young said. “They have done everything on the up and up in a way that follows the letter of the law.”