The Citizens' Transition Committee of Coalition for Clean Air South Coast sponsored a Community Visioning Session for the Town of Somerset at the Library on September 7, 2013. The two-hour charette gave participants the opportunity to express ideas for redeveloping the former Montaup Electric power plant property and the Brayton Point Power Station property, businesses that have dominated the town and its tax rolls for decades. Massachusetts Secretary of Energy and Enviromental Affairs Richard Sullivan suggested recently that Somerset needs to do an economic development study to determine how it could make up for lost revenue from the two power plants, the first of which closed several years ago and the second of which has been steadily losing revenue. Governor Deval Patrick and the Massachusetts Legislature created a Power Plant Revitalization Task Force to plan for the decommissioning and redevelopment of coal plants likely to close by 2017, including Brayton Point. Becky Smith, Campaigns Director of Clean Water Action, recently released a report that detailed an estimated $120 to $294 million in health care costs each year due to the Power Station. A demonstration againt the plant's contribution to greenhouse gases was also recently held at the facility in Somerset. Click here for a seven-minute  video of the event. Click here for the Spectator article. Click here for the Herald News article. For more local information, send an email to savesomerset@gmail.com. |
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(Top row) Estelle Nunes points to the board as Shana Cleveland leads a discussion on the economic issues pertaining to the redevelopment of the Mauntaup Electric site. (Row two) Bill Napolitano of the Southeastern Regional Planning and Economic Development District leads a discussion on the potential for economic development within the town. (Row three) Becky Smith of Clean Water Action, left, and Somerset resident Renee Driscoll, right, engage in discussion while retired city planner Al Lima leads a discussion on the potential development of the two power station sites. (Bottom row) Sylvia Broude of the Toxics Action Center and Bill Naolitano summarize their group discussions before event organizer Pauline Rodrigues concludes the session. |
