Big Bradley project poses many concerns
A lot has been written about the proposed Project River in Bradley County. The Wright family has attempted to address the concerns of the community by proposing to build their own 1,000-megawatt power plant fueled by LNG, and another 500-megawatt plant fueled by wood pulp. They believe they can generate their own water from the pine trees that will be cut for fuel. Sound pollution will be mitigated by the topography of the location.
I did a little research to learn more about power generation. A 1,000-megawatt gas-fired power plant will produce 390 to 450 metric tons of CO2 per hour. A 500-megawatt biofuel plant will produce 3.3 to 4.2 million metric tons of CO2 per year. I also learned that it is unsafe to live within one mile of a gas-powered plant due to the air pollution. There was no discussion of where the water for the power plants would be sourced. Probably from the river.
I cannot believe the advantages of this project can possibly outweigh the total environmental impact. We have just experienced the hottest July and August on record. CO2 is a huge contributor to climate change. We should be doing everything we can to reduce carbon emissions, not adding to them.
Jim Milburn