HomeMy WebLinkAbout09.08.25 Kathy Brazil Public Comment_ FW_ Public Comment for Non-Agenda item 9_9_2025 meeting Biomass in Oroville.ATTENTION: This message originated from outside Butte County. Please exercise judgment before opening
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From:Clerk of the Board
To:Clerk of the Board; Connelly, Bill; Cook, Holly; Cook, Robin; Durfee, Peter; Jessee, Meegan; Kimmelshue, Tod;
Kitts, Melissa; Krater, Sharleen; Lee, Lewis; Little, Melissa; Pickett, Andy; Ritter, Tami; Stephens, Brad J.;
Sweeney, Kathleen; Teeter, Doug; Zepeda, Elizabeth
Subject:Public Comment: FW: Public Comment for Non-Agenda item 9/9/2025 meeting Biomass in Oroville
Date:Monday, September 8, 2025 4:18:01 PM
Please see public comment
From: Kathy Brazil <fewzil@att.net>
Sent: Monday, September 8, 2025 4:09 PM
To: Clerk of the Board <clerkoftheboard@buttecounty.net>
Subject: Public Comment for Non-Agenda item 9/9/2025 meeting Biomass in Oroville
Please submit this as my public comment for the concerns of
Biomass in Oroville in Butte County, as a non-agenda item at
the Board of Supervisors 9/9/25 meeting
As the Butte County Board of Supervisors you have invested to both
promote tourism; ie; The Brad Freeman and Trail and Honeyrun Bridge
and to repair roadways damaged by emergency recovery efforts.
I wrote to my district area supervisor with concerns about a proposed
Biomass plant coming to Oroville and I received a response from his office
that it is not a County issue. Yet, in January of 2023 the BOS signed a
letter in support of Biomass development. I believe the Butte County
Regional Air Quality agency as well as other County permit departments
would be involved in any Biomass development of this scale so, let it go on
record, developing a Biomass plant in Oroville is a County issue.
Oroville is a disadvantaged community and to consider allowing a Biomass
plant in the known toxic Superfund area in the Southside of Oroville is not
a responsible choice in addressing the environmental justice of your
constituents.
All Butte County residents and visitors will be breathing the Biomass plant
byproducts in the air, as air does not stay within a city limit. Biomass
particles are so small that they can enter and lodge deep in the lungs and
create serious health consequences.
Fortunately, cleaner electricity sources that pose far less harm to public
health exist and are readily available, just look across the road at the solar
panels on the County Center.
In my view, this Biomass project has received the greenlight from both
County and City elected representatives before any public input; and this
fact creates an appearance of a conflict of interest.
Allowing overseas big business and local investors to make a profit at the
long term health expense of the vulnerable population of the Southside of
Oroville is an old story dressed up in a new mask.
An elected Oroville representative even said, “In the past, Oroville has
made the mistake of focusing on industry.”
The Butte County District Attorney stated on 8/26/25 that there are
ongoing legal and environmental issues in the area of the toxic Superfund
site in Oroville that is also situated below the Oroville Dam and let’s not
forget the Oroville Dam Spillway failure Incident.
It is not being responsible as representatives, to ignore community
concerns of health dangers, impacts of noise & traffic, truck emissions,
inevitable plant accidents, bio-char & wastewater pollution from the
Gasification process of a Biomass plant and risks of further air, water & soil
contamination.
As our representatives, you must be accountable to assure environmental
justice for all of your constituents in Butte County. You are entrusted to
act in the best interests of the health and well-being of the people you
serve. I am asking for the vulnerable people of Oroville that you stop this
Biomass plant project.
K Brazil