PROVIDENCE – The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) will hold an extended public hearing this week to gather public comment on the draft air quality permit for the proposed Clear River Energy Center in Burrillville. Although the overall decision on siting and building the facility, proposed by Invenergy Thermal Development LLC in Burrillville, rests with the Energy Facility Siting Board (EFSB), the decision on the air permit stays with DEM per state law and is not connected to or sequenced with the EFSB.
To accommodate all interested parties, DEM is conducting the public hearing in two sessions, with an afternoon session from 3 PM to 5 PM and an evening session from 5:30 PM to 8:30 PM.
WHAT:
Public hearing for interested persons to appear and submit written or oral comments on the draft permit
WHERE:
Burrillville High School Auditorium 425 East Avenue Harrisville, Rhode Island 02830
WHEN:
Wednesday, June 19, 2019 | 3 PM to 5 PM and 5:30 to 8:30 PM
Due to the expected number of commenters, each person will be given three minutes to present their comments to the hearing officer, and a moderator will be present to facilitate the hearing. Questions and comments presented at the hearing will not be answered or discussed at that time but will be officially recorded and addressed with the ultimate decision on the application, which is expected in October.
A month ago, DEM announced it opened an extended public comment period to give Rhode Islanders ample opportunity to weigh in on this proposal. All interested parties are invited to request additional information or submit written or oral comments concerning the proposed permit by Monday, July 15, at 4 PM. Members of the public who would like to submit questions or formal comments on the proposed permit may email dem.invenergyairpermit@dem.ri.gov so they can be added into the draft permit's administrative record. Comments may also be mailed to the Department of Environmental Management, Office of Air Resources, 235 Promenade Street, Providence, RI 02908-5767. Comments must be received before the public comment period closes to be considered.
Issued by DEM's Office of Air Resources, the draft permit, preliminary determination, a factsheet, and notice of public comment are available at http://dem.ri.gov/programs/environmentalprotection/invenergy.php.