Jerry Elmer
Conservation Law Foundation (CLF) has filed a motion to un-redact the pre-filed Sur-Rebuttal Testimony of Burrillville’s expert witness Glenn C Walker with the Energy Facility Siting Board (EFSB). In his testimony, Walker expresses “the opinion that the proposed Invenergy plant is not needed or justified by long-term State of Rhode Island and/or regional energy forecasts.” Walker also disputes the testimony of Invenergy expert witness Ryan Hardy.
At issue is the $1 billion fracked gas and diesel oil burning power plant Invenergy has aimed at the heart of Burrillville.
According to CLF Senior Attorney Jerry Elmer, “CLF believes the some of this information is not covered by the Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) in the case, while some portions are covered by the NDA. By this Motion, CLF is formally asking the EFSB to allow the public release of all of this information, even the material that clearly is covered by the NDA.”
The reasoning behind CLF’s motion is simple.
“The proposed Invenergy plant is controversial,” writes Elmer. “Accordingly, public confidence in the EFSB process is crucially important. Public confidence is helped by having an open and transparent process. The information that Invenergy is trying to keep secret here strongly supports CLF’s arguments that the Invenergy plant should not be built and that the EFSB should deny a permit for Invenergy. CLF believes that it is in the public interest that this information be available to everyone.”
In the motion itself, EFSB member Janet Coit is quoted in support of CLF’s position, having said, on January 29, that the EFSB should be “making all the decisions in front of the public at every step” and asking the public to, “Please respect the process.”
“If Invenergy objects to the Motion that CLF’s is filing today,” writes Elmer, “Invenergy will be arguing that against airing all the facts fully and fairly.
“The bottom line is really simple,” continues Elmer. “The facts that have been blacked out in Glenn Walker’s Sur-Rebuttal Testimony really hurt Invenergy and really show why the plant should not be built. With today’s Motion CLF is saying: Let the facts come out!”
Exactly. Transparency, dear EFSB Board members. That’s what we’re looking for. That’s what every party to this process, which includes the entire population of RI, and the region, must have. It is perfectly reasonable and rightful to expect TRANSPARENCY from the EFSB on this critical permit application.