Ze-Gen Hearing Draws a Crowd of Opposition

More than 100 residents packed Attleboro City Hall Wednesday night during a public hearing to speak out about Ze-Gen, a renewable energy business attempting to build a gasification plant in the former Texas Instruments Industrial Park on Pleasant Street. 

A handful of Ze-Gen executives, who presented their plans to the Attleboro Conservation Commission, were faced with questions about pollution from an emotionally-charged group of residents. One by one, residents took to the podium to ask about the environmental impact the company would have on the city and its residents. 

Residents, including those involved with @RISC (Attleboro Residents with Important Safety Concerns), said they are concerned about the safe handling of the dust and environmental effects of any dust that escapes from the plant.

Residents also worry about the eight to 10 trucks that will be driving back and forth to the plant carrying marterials from wood pallets, railroad crossties, utility poles, non-recyclable plastics, carpet fibers and recycled anti-freeze.  

Attleboro resident Jessica McMahon repeated some of the words said by executives during the presentation and questioned the executives' integrity. " 'Adequately, avoid, not our intent, we anticipate, we think,' those are not words that say to me they will protect our environment."

Gary McGee, a 43-year resident of Attleboro, also questioned the company's integrity by saying executives were speculating and not providing facts on the impact the business would have on the city and its residents. 

Executives, however, saw it differently. David Robertson, vice president of tecnology at Ze-Gen, said 20,000 tons of solid waste will be diverted from landfills per year, creating an alternative to fossil fuels that will displace residual and natural gas at the Attleboro Corporate Campus.  

An air quality control engineer hired by Ze-Gen said the air quality at the site would be within state standards and would be clean as far as particulates go. 

An advantage to bringing Ze-Gen to Attleboro, according to executives, is that the company will provide thermal energy in the form of steam to the companies located in the the Attleboro Corporate Campus, will bring 20 full-time, permanent jobs to Attleboro and 100 more during the construction phase of the poject.

Ze-Gen also has plans to collaborate with the City of Attleboro, Bridgewater State College and on research and development, green job training and internships for students. 

Jack Lank, speaking on behalf of the United Regional Chamber of Commerce, echoed the economic impact the company would have on the city because of the number of jobs and money it would bring to Attleboro. Rolling out the welcome mat to  Ze-Gen would  "spur collaboration and bring much needed economic development to the region," he said.

The commission and executives agreed to walk the site on Wednesday, May 11, at 5 p.m. Per a request by the commission, executives are looking into whether the site visit to 527 Pleasant St. Building 11 can be open to residents of Attleboro.