If we are going to get forced by our legislators to have biomass plants, (which is now becoming doubtful given the latest feedback from the new PT Mill manager who said in his first interview that the economics of it was shifting and there was no guarantee that they would build the plant), here’s a use for the new biomass plants that we can all get behind.
The City of Nanaimo has found a use for Scotch broom. The noxious weed will be shredded and burned as hog fuel to power the Harmac pulp mill near Nanaimo. This year for the first time, the city helped members of the public control the noxious weed by putting collection bins at three locations in May. Enough broom was collected to more than fill a five-ton truck. It was shredded Thursday at a ceremonial “burning of the broom” event at the fire-training yard on Labieux Road. Darrell Belaart reports.
http://www.timescolonist.com/news/shredded-scotch-broom-to-help-fuel-harmac-pulp-mill-1.317110
Filed under: Around the Sound | Tagged: biomass, Biomass Cogeneration, Canada, noxious weeds, scotch broom |
Whether or not mills use biomass burning to fuel only their own operations or to feed electricity back into the electric power grid, Scotch broom can still be used as one component of their hog fuel materials. This will not only add to their electricity cost savings but help in the fight to eradicate that most invasive weed. If we don’t act now, in a few decades, the damage to the land needed for farming, ranching, logging, and animal habitat, as well as the scenic beauty of our forests, will be irreversible. I’ve created an online petition to ask the Washington State Noxious Weed Control Board to designate Scotch broom for Mandatory Control throughout Washington and am working closely with it’s Exec. Secretary, Alison Halpern, and with Jill Silver of the Jefferson County Noxious Weed Board to develop workable solutions to the Scotch broom problem. Read the May 31 Peninsula Daily News article at: http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20130531/news/305319983/not-so-mellow-about-this-yellow-peninsula-petition-urges-mandatory.