The Enterprise of Brockton, Mass.
www.enterprisenews.com.
By Maria Papadopoulos
ENTERPRISE STAFF WRITER
Posted Apr 22, 2009 @ 02:56 AM
BROCKTON — Cancer survivor Gary Leonard doesnt fear construction of a proposed 350-megawatt power plant in Brockton. Hes hailing it.
If I thought it was going to be detrimental to my health, I would not be here tonight, said Leonard, 54, a lifelong Brockton resident and former president of the Campello Business Association, amid a sea of union plant supporters as they chanted during a rally Tuesday night inside City Hall.
Leonard, who underwent treatment for esophageal cancer and lymphoma in 2007, said he came to show his support for a $350 million natural-gas power plant in the city.
The rally, organized by Mass Building Trades and Brockton Building Trades, drew hundreds of union workers from the region and from communities including South Boston, New Bedford, Mashpee, Bellingham, Cambridge and Rhode Island.
We want to put our members to work, Frank Callahan, president of Mass Building Trades, told the crowd.
Proponents say the power plant, which would burn natural gas and diesel fuel and be built off Oak Hill Way on the citys south side, would bring 300 jobs and $1.5 million in revenue to Brockton.
Its what Brockton needs, said plumber Michael Conley of Brockton, 45, a married father of four. Theyre laying off city employees, and this is tax dollars the city is just passing away.
Mary Splane, 43, a Brockton truck driver and mother of two, agreed.
People are looking for jobs, Splane said, holding a project sign. I think it would be great for the city.
The plant, backed by Advanced Power AG of Switzerland, is awaiting final approval from the state Energy Facilities Siting Board and local approvals.
The power company has dubbed the project Brockton Clean Energy — several union workers held the projects trademark blue signs at the rally — despite the fact that it has nothing to do with renewable energy, environmentalists have said.
As they packed into City Hall, the union workers chanted loudly Brockton jobs for Brockton residents.
Councilor-at-large Todd Petti, a plant supporter, was the only city official who spoke at the rally.
It is a safe project, Petti told the crowd through a megaphone. It is a clean project and again, were going to do everything we can to get you working, to get your families in the area the monies that we need, to live, to buy homes.
Petti said he will do whatever he can to make sure the project goes through. He said scores of his constituents have called him to support the plant, while only a handful have called to oppose it.
The rally preceded the 7 p.m. Finance Committee meeting of the City Council.
Just before the meeting, several union workers walked into council chambers, while others stood outside the chamber door and began chanting loudly We want jobs.
Police officers asked the crowd to quiet down. After the doors to the council chambers were closed, the union workers began chanting again, prompting two officers to calm the crowd a second time.
The project has faced opposition from city officials and residents amid concerns over possible health impacts and the location of the plant near homes, schools and large numbers of lower-income and minority residents.
Tuesdays rally served to intimidate city councilors, said Ed Byers, an outspoken critic of the project who owns Cindys Kitchen, which is near the proposed site for the plant.
Proponents are losing the battle and theyre basically pulling out all the stops and trying to intimidate the council members and City Hall, said Byers, who did not attend the rally.
Theyre taking a valuable asset, that (land on Oak Hill Way) is a major valuable asset to the future of Brockton and theyre going to turn it into a toxic wasteland, he said.
Former Mayor John T. Yunits, a project consultant, said he first opposed the plant in 2000 but then changed his mind after touring plants in Taunton, Braintree and Dartmouth.
These things arent the big, bad apple that people are making them out to be, Yunits said of power plants, standing outside City Hall. Once its up and running, people will get used to it.
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