Libby schools weighing biomass plant proposal

The Libby School District is looking toward the future with a proposed energy-efficient and cost-effective biomass plant.

In a series of meetings, the district has been speaking with area officials and energy experts to further understand the benefits, costs and hurdles that a proposed biomass plant has to offer the district.

“Its at the early stages of discussion. If there’s a way we can do it, I think it’s a good deal,” Superintendent of Libby Schools Craig Barringer said. “We have available resources, they’re cheap to get, but we have to see if it’s feasible.”

On Aug. 23, officials from Libby Public Schools, the U.S. Forest Service, City Buildings and Grounds, Johnson Controls and the Lincoln County Health Department met to discuss the biomass plant and some of the hurdles that come with it, including the risk of a large investment, the effects on air quality, state, county and city laws and the logistics in constructing the plant.

Johnson Controls, a multinational conglomerate that produces automotive interiors, HVAC equipment and controls and manufactures batteries, is helping with the new biomass plant in Libby.

Nate Gassmann of the Forest Service sat in on the meeting, advocating for the biomass plant.

“This seems like a very good thing to have going forward,” Gassmann said during the meeting. “The Libby Loggers should be able to invest in themselves, and the idea with the fuels program was to be a success point for that. That was the desire, to make that a reality for everyone in town. If Troy can do it, we can do it here. I think that we do have some hurdles to get over, and they’re hurdles but they’re not lost opportunities.”

Gassmann said that the Forest Service would provide the biomass. According to Gassmann, the Forest Service wants to add to the benefit by selling leftover material from piles and timber sales to the schools.

If the Forest Service can increase the opportunities for biomass, Gassmann said, then it can go onto accomplish other things, including reducing the risks of wildfires in the area.

Lincoln County Health Department officials were also at the meeting to supply information on the current state and county regulations and ordinances.

“While it’s challenging in maintaining, we do see the benefits, too,” Nick Raines of the health department said.

According to Lincoln County Environmental Health Specialist Jake Mertes, the Libby area faces more obstacles with the nonattainment air pollution ordinance set by the EPA in 2008. According to Raines, the ordinance places more restrictions on emissions from wood-burning stoves. Raines said that the biomass plant would fall under these restrictions. Raines said that the area will continue to be under a microscope in terms of air-quality until the nonattainment is lifted.

The size of the facility is measured in British thermal units (BTUs), according to Mertes. One BTU equals the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one pound of liquid water by one degree Fahrenheit. Below a million BTUs, the size falls under the county regulations, but above a million falls under the state. The same applies to the emissions, under 25 tons of particulate matter per year is under county regulations, and once over 25 tons, it becomes under state law.

“We want to do anything we can to help the school out, and to get rid of the biomass around here in a productive way,” Mertes said.

If they build the plant, it wouldn’t be the first time for a school in the area to do so. Troy School District has two biomass plants, one of which they also started through Johnson Controls.

While the question still remains if the investment will pay off, Troy School officials have seen the benefits.

Troy School District Superintendent Jacob Francom said that the building of the biomass plant seven years ago in their elementary school has been a good investment for Troy. According to Francom, the district is saving money by using biomass, and the money that they’re saving is going to pay off the plant. Once the plant is paid off, the district will start seeing the savings.

“It’s kind of a win-win situation,” Francom said. “We got a biomass system without putting any cost on the taxpayers.”

Reporter Bethany Rolfson may be reached at 293-4124 or by email at Reporter@TheWesternNews.com.