Environmental council wants impact statement on Green Bay waste facility

The Door County Environmental Council has requested that the Department of Energy prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the proposed Oneida Seven Generations Corp. Waste to Energy facility in Green Bay.

The Oneida facility will be located near the Fox River and Lower Green Bay and will dispose of solid waste in a way that converts it to ash and combustible gas, which is then burned to power electric generators.

Instead of a comprehensive EIS, as required by federal law, the DOE prepared an Environmental Assessment for the proposed facility, which is a much less rigorous review of the environmental impact on the surrounding community, according to a news release from Midwest Environmental Advocates.

DCEC’s comments on the environmental study noted that it fails to identify and evaluate comparable facilities; that it fails to adequately address the impacts of toxic air pollutants; and that it fails to address the impact of the project on existing municipal recycling programs.

The 1970 National Environmental Policy Act requires all federal agencies to take a “hard look” at the environmental impacts of all proposed actions, such as the proposed facility. Additionally, NEPA requires the assessment of reasonable alternatives to the proposed action.