To view Riverbank Power's official announcement regarding test results at the Sparta, New Jersey location open the PDF below-
Hydro Review PennWell
Riverbank moving forward with Maine project
TORONTO, Ontario, Canada 8/28/09 (PennWell) -- Test results of rock samples at a project site in Wiscasset, Maine, show that the site is fit for the development of an underground hydropower plant, said Riverbank Power Corp., the project’s developer.
The 1,000-MW pumped-storage project would be built 2,000 feet underground near the Back River and would use gravity to drop river water through four 250-MW turbines. The water would be temporarily stored underground and pumped back into the river.
Riverbank has identified 15 sites in the United States and Canada, where its Aquabank technology could be used to generate power.
The company recently dropped plans to build an Aquabank system near Sparta, N.J., because test results showed that the location was not fit for the development of an underground facility.
“Our scientific testing has shown that the geology under the quarry could not sustain a project of this scope,” said John Douglas, Riverbank’s chief executive officer. “Our tests have revealed that the rock where our turbines and reservoirs would be created is a poor fit for our project.”
The U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has received proposals to build at least 22 pumped-storage projects in 11 states. (HydroWorld 4/1/09)
The Sparta Independent Riverbank pulls plug on project
Geological test results say rock will not support Aquabank technology
By Fran Hardy August 19, 2009 Sparta — After only two weeks of test drilling and initial testing of core rock samples, geologists have determined the Limecrest Quarry site is unsuitable for the $2 billion underground hydroelectric facility proposed by Riverbank Power Corporation of Canada. The news came in a statement issued Thursday morning by Riverbank saying, “As a result, Riverbank will stop development activities in Sparta.”
Riverbank CEO John Douglas said, “When we announced this project in January, we stated the site could only be developed if scientific evidence proved the location is a suitable fit for our Aquabank™ technology. Even though the Limecrest Quarry was one of the top sites in our development portfolio, our scientific testing has shown that the geology under the quarry could not sustain a project of this scope. Unfortunately, our tests have revealed that the rock where our turbines and reservoirs would be created is a poor fit for our project.”
News of the test results, which were projected to take as long as eight weeks to complete, came as a disappointment to Sparta Mayor Scott Seelagy and Sparta’s town council who unanimously supported the Riverbank project as a potential boon to the community, through both the $5 million annual revenue it would bring in and the numerous jobs it would provide.
Seelagy said Thursday, “The news is unfortunate and we’re disappointed. But we always knew the feasibility of the project would depend on the geology. The project could have helped Sparta taxpayers considerably, but I understand Riverbank had to make a business decision.” Seelagy added that Douglas and the Riverbank staff had been wonderful to work with and he thanked them for their efforts.
Neighboring communities of Andover and Byram, who have opposed the project since it was announced in January, view the news as a relief and a positive end to their months of meetings, protests, and formal intervention with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
Andover Mayor Bob Smith said Thursday, “I thought I was dreaming when I got the news this morning. But truly, I don’t rejoice in any loss for Sparta. I don’t feel any sense of victory, just a tremendous sense of relief. Andover has already spent tens of thousands of dollars because of this project, hiring a hydro-geologist, a FERC specialist, and an attorney, and no doubt the cost would have risen substantially if it continued to move forward.” Smith said the news was “bittersweet”, and that his main concern all along had been primarily for the well-being of his citizens.
Seelagy said he still has hopes for some kind of economic development at the Limecrest Quarry site and will continue to look for commercial opportunities that fit into Sparta’s economic plan. He said additional ratable in the area could help reduce Sparta’s tax base.
Douglas said, “I want to personally thank the officials in New Jersey who worked with us in Sparta. I especially want to thank Sparta Mayor Seelagy, former Mayor Brady, as well as the State and Federal elected representatives we met with throughout this process. These leaders kept an open mind about the project, understood that scientific testing would guide the development process, and believed us when we said we wouldn’t develop a project that posed a risk to the environment.”
Riverbank Power has identified 15 sites in the Northeast United States and Canada as potential locations for an Aquabank™ pumped storage facility, which converts “off-peak” energy into electricity for delivery in the “on-peak” market. Riverbank said its initial tests at the company’s site in Wiscasset, Maine site returned positive results and development there is continuing.
Douglas said, “It has never been our intention to site an Aquabank™ in an area where the geology will not support it. However, we are still enthusiastic about creating new pumped storage and developing other sites in the Northeast.”
A Toronto firm has pulled the plug on its plan to convert a quarry in Sparta into an underground hydroelectric generating facility, because test drilling showed the deep rock is just not hard enough for massive reservoirs, the company president said today.
Riverbank Power proposed converting the former Limecrest Quarry into a hydroelectric facility. Sparta officials were eagerly anticipating the facility creating environmentally friendly energy and becoming a financial boon for the town.
But examination of test bores determined that the location wouldn't be feasible for the facility.
"We did complete the (test) drilling and the bottom line is the rock just isn't suitable, it's not hard enough," said Riverbank President and CEO John Douglas. It's unfortunate it didn't work out. It's as much a scientific exercise as an economic one."
The news was cheered by Jeff Tittel of the New Jersey Sierra Club who opposed the plan. The idea was to generate off-peak electricity at night, and then sell it to a regional grid for use during the day, when demand is higher.
"We thought all along it was a bad location and a bad project," Tittel said. "We didn't consider it clean energy, because you would use more energy than you produce, but it would make money. We said all along it was a ponzi scheme."
Douglas disagreed, saying the underground reservoir concept has been around for a century, and more of it will have to be done if the country is going to find renewable sources of energy and meet growing demand.
"I'm not sure they (critics) really understand pump-storage, it's been around a long time. We were proposing to put the reservoir underground. This type of storage system is critical for the U.S. to meet its needs," Douglas said.
Riverbank has 15 sites in the U.S. and Canada that it is pursuing such an underground facilities, he said.
In Sparta, Riverbank drilled 2,200 feet -- deeper than anyone ever did at the quarry that was founded a century ago by Thomas Edison, Douglas said.
While the rock in Sparta was deemed too soft for an underground hydroelectric plant, there probably is enough rock to support another century of mining of various aggregate rock products there, Douglas said.
Jim Lockwood may be reached at (973) 539-7119 or jlockwood@starledger.com.
By SETH AUGENSTEIN saugenstein@njherald.com SPARTA — The plug has been pulled on the Riverbank underground hydroelectric plans. Test results from 2,000-foot deep drilling proved the Limecrest Quarry site is not suitable for the $2 billion pumped storage facility proposed in January.
The underground rock was too porous, and there was a fault underneath the quarry, according to one official.
The project drove a wedge between two towns this year: Sparta Township, which stood to make $5 million in royalties and taxes from the deal when completed, and nearby Andover Township, which vehemently opposed the project for environmental impacts, including the indirect path of the power lines cutting west, south and then east through the municipality. Andover Township Mayor Bob Smith said the news is the best possible outcome for his town, because it will save “hundreds of thousands” of dollars in legal and expert representation just to conduct the town’s “due diligence.”
“I’m so thrilled and relieved the issue is off the table,” Smith said. “Now we can get back to the normal issues at hand.” For Sparta, the results were surprising — but not shocking.
“We’re disappointed, but I don’t think we ever had an expectation it was finalized until after the test results came back,” Sparta Mayor Scott Seelagy said.
Seelagy said the town would continue to look for commercial uses of the property. Created: 8/13/2009 | Updated: 8/13/2009
August 6, 2009 Semantics are powering a growing feud between two towns over a $2 billion underground hydroelectric project near their shared border.
Test drilling 2,200 feet beneath the surface of the Limecrest Quarry began July 30 on the Sparta Township side of the border. Neighboring Andover Township, which has concerns about the impacts on its residents, wanted notice of the drilling when it began -- and said Tuesday in an official township release they were never told tools were in the ground.
But on July 13, Andover Mayor Bob Smith did receive an e-mail from Riverbank Power Corporation's CEO, John Douglas, saying the drilling could begin by the end of the month.
Now the argument is over the wording, and meaning, of the five-sentence e-mail:
"Mayor Smith: We hope to begin drilling by the end of July although I have no firm date to start. We are making good progress on the alternative route which will avoid Andover all together. Hopefully, we will be in a position to announce by early fall. Again, the timing is not entirely in our control. Hope that helps," Douglas wrote.
Smith responded, saying, "Thank you so much for (your) quick response."
The running argument centers on whether the "hope" of the drilling was actually Riverbank's announcement of the testing phase.
Sparta and Riverbank say it was.
"Mr. Douglas was explicit in his e-mail," said John Lacey, a Riverbank spokesman. "Furthermore, the quote you read shows how Riverbank has provided constant and timely updates to Andover over the past several months."
Andover officials disagree, saying those months of updates have often been vague -- and that they expected a phone call when the drilling was underway. Originally scheduled for April, the drilling date was continually pushed off during months of Sparta Council and Andover Committee meetings. Another delay was expected with the wording of the e-mail, according to Andover Committeeman Tom Walsh.
"We were being told that every month," Walsh said. "A simple phone call -- that's all it would have taken.
"If they're not trying to hide something, they're making it look like they're trying to hide something," Walsh said.
"This was lip service," Smith said, of the e-mail. "I am really upset they even take offense to this."
Sparta officials were angry over Andover's reaction -- particularly the Tuesday press release blasting the project and committing the township to opposing the hydroelectric project. (Andover hired an attorney to oppose the project in March.) Sparta Mayor Scott Seelagy said it was an "immature and inappropriate" reaction to something that should not have been a surprise to Andover. On Wednesday, Councilman Brian Brady insisted Riverbank was doing all it can to work with Andover, including looking at an alternative route for transmission lines -- a major sticking point -- to avoid Andover altogether.
"If they're looking for more, I don't know what they're looking for, honestly," Brady said. "(Riverbank) has been more open and more willing than any other company I've dealt with."
Douglas reiterated in a letter Wednesday that he had reached out to Smith -- and was dismayed by Andover's reaction.
"What troubles me is that Andover's assertions only serve to obscure the fact that we have been open and forthright since the very beginning of this project," he wrote. "In fact, we have been working hard to address Andover's concerns."
Sparta has disregarded Andover's concerns, according to Andover Committeeman Phil Boyce.
"They promised to let us know they were going to start. That's our problem," Boyce said. "Sparta has such little regard for our concerns."
Walsh concurs. "They're so arrogant with their own constituency, why would they be any different with us?"
Drilling will continue for another week, according to Riverbank. Lab reports for the resulting core rock samples will be available in eight weeks, they said.
August 5, 2009 SPARTA -- Drills are plunging 2,200 feet down into the Limecrest Quarry to determine whether the $2 billion underground Riverbank hydroelectric project is possible.
In the process, it's unearthing some cross-border controversy that had been dormant for months.
The drilling began July 30 and will continue for about another week. Two test holes will dig up core samples indicating the type of rock, and its suitability for the proposed massive underground turbines and reservoir. If the drilling deems the site acceptable, a groundbreaking still is years away.
Stakeholders outside the three partners in the project -- Riverbank Power Corporation, Sparta Township and Limecrest Quarry Developers --were not formally notified of the drilling. Some of them are angry about being kept out of the loop.
"I do feel as though they violated a courtesy to us," said Andover Township Mayor Bob Smith. "I said over and over again, 'Don't let us be surprised.' "
Sparta Mayor Scott Seelagy dismissed Andover's response, calling it a "knee-jerk reaction."
"What's important from the drilling is the test results," Seelagy said. "I don't feel we have an obligation to inform them on every little thing that happens on the project."
In a prepared statement Tuesday, Andover Township, a lead objector on the project, said: "The township has in the past made a number of requests to observe and assist in analyzing the results of the drilling at the site. However, this activity has commenced without any notification to the township or permission to participate in the observation of this activity."
The statement continued, "The township will object to the results of this drilling since it did not have an opportunity to participate and observe such activity."
And, "The township will continue to oppose any aspect of this project that would be a health and safety detriment to the residents of Andover Township."
Matt Lally, member of the Stop Riverbank opposition group, said he found out about the drilling Monday -- through the grapevine.
"Obviously, we're disappointed that nobody notified the surrounding communities," he said.
"All Sparta had to do was notify everyone they were drilling. But they've managed to create more controversy by not telling anybody," Lally said.
Riverbank initially projected the drilling to begin in April, but that date was pushed back. The company received its preliminary permit from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to begin its testing June 17.
Core sample results will be back from the lab in eight weeks, according to Riverbank spokesman Andrew Rush.
"Riverbank said they were going to start sometime this summer -- and it's going well," he said.
The test drilling is the next step for the 1,000-megawatt project at the quarry off Limecrest Road, which has been a polarizing proposal since its January unveiling. Riverbank plans to drill a 2,000-foot shaft deep into a scooped-out, second reservoir underneath the current aquifer at the quarry. The man-made waterfall would turn four enormous turbines, generating electricity at the subterranean plant during peak day hours. At off-peak, night hours, the water would be pumped back up to the reservoir using traditional power sources.
Proponents of the underground pumped storage project say it is an environmental "win," since it will produce energy at peak usage times -- as well as generate about 1,000 construction jobs, and $5 million annually for Sparta through rent and taxes.
Critics have referred to the project as "greenscam," since the project would use more energy than it would produce. They've also objected to various environmental factors, including the scale of the excavation, the route of power lines through neighboring municipalities, and the possible effects on the hydrogeology of the area.
The intervenors -- including Andover, Byram Township and Lake Mohawk Country Club -- have engaged in a dialogue in which Canadian-based Riverbank has agreed to look at alternative routes for the power lines needed for the project.
The state Department of Environmental Protection confirmed that an official from the New Jersey Geological Survey was on-site for at least part of the drilling process.
Eugene Mulvihill, the principal of Limecrest Quarry Developers, said he did not understand the opposition to the hydroelectric project.
"It's taking emissions from coal out of the air," Mulvihill said Tuesday. "It's a green thing."
Environmental studies and site testing will proceed
By Fran Hardy July 1, 2009 Sparta — Riverbank Power Corporation received its preliminary permit from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) on June 17 for the $2 billion hydroelectric facility proposed for the Limecrest Quarry in Sparta. Mayor Brian Brady reported at last week’s township council meeting that he received a letter from Riverbank CEO John Douglas informing him the permit had been granted.
The preliminary permit is only the first step in a lengthy process outlined by FERC director of hydroelectric licensing, Ann Miles, in meetings in Sparta and Andover on June 4. The permit will maintain the priority of Riverbank’s application for three years and gives them the green light to conduct environmental and feasibility studies as well as drill testing on the site, but does not authorize any construction.
Riverbank’s permit application was filed on Jan. 21 and a public notice requesting comments and/or interventions was issued by FERC on April 2. The public comment period for this phase of the project ended on June 1 and during that time a groundswell of opposition from citizens in neighboring Andover and Byram has resulted in community meetings, overflowing township council and committee meetings, and many letters to the editor in local papers. Andover and Byram, as well as the Lake Mohawk Country Club, have each filed a formal Motion to Intervene with FERC.
The major opposition to the project is proposed power lines that would run through an Andover neighborhood connecting the facility at Limecrest to a switching station in Jefferson or Hopatcong. Riverbank has said it will seek an alternate route for these lines. Other opposition cites environmental concerns over what the underground project’s effect on the regional aquifer might be.
Sparta officials have extolled the economic benefits the project would bring to the community, including $5 million per year revenue for the township and 1,000 jobs created during construction and up to 75 permanent positions available thereafter.
FERC allows no more than three years for testing to be completed under the preliminary permit. Riverbank spokesman Andrew Rush said Stantec Engineering, a globally recognized firm, has been hired to do the drill testing at the Limecrest site, which could take up to a year. No date to begin the testing has been announced.
After the testing is complete, the standard licensing process can take up to 18 months. It involves two phases: pre-filing and post-filing. Both periods involve further studies and public meetings, and further opportunities for public comment. If a license is issued, it will authorize construction of the facility and be valid for 50 years before re-filing is necessary.
Citizens can check online at www.ferc.gov. for the next available public comment period.
SPARTA -- The Riverbank Power Corporation now has its go-ahead to study and apply for its $2 billion underground hydroelectric project.
The preliminary permit was issued June 17 by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, little more than two weeks after the public comment period for the permit ended.
The work is just beginning for the project, however. The company now must complete all its studies, including hydrological and geological findings, before applying to FERC for the license to build the project.
The study period allowed by the preliminary permit will take up to three years. The licensing period that follows it will take about 18 months. Both phases will involve intermittent public comment periods, according to a FERC representative who made a public visit to Sparta and neighboring Andover early this month.
Sparta has touted the 1,000-megawatt project as an economic boost to the entire region, which also would net the township $5 million in rent and taxes. About 1,000 construction jobs are projected for the first four years, followed by 50-75 permanent positions if the site is operational in 2015.
However, opponents from Andover Township and other neighboring towns have balked at the project since its January unveiling, claiming the power lines, environmental drawbacks and project's net loss of power -- it would use more electricity than it would produce -- make it viable only for Sparta. Andover, Byram and Lake Mohawk Country Club all were official intervenors in the permit process, and more than 60 comments against the project were filed with FERC by opponents to the project, including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
However, the real test will be the licensing process, according to FERC. Ann Miles, the director of hydroelectric licensing who visited Sparta and Andover June 4 to lay out the process and ground rules for the project, said permits are a much more frequent issuance than licenses. However, she reiterated that FERC will continue to accept public comment at appropriate phases of the years-long process.
"If you've got something you disagree with, we're going to hear you," Miles said June 4.
Opponents have said they knew the fight would be a long one -- and not likely to end at the preliminary permit stage.
"Obviously, it's a long road ... people are going to have to stay involved," said Matt Lally, one of the founders of the opposition group Stop Riverbank. "We're not going anywhere since Riverbank Sparta is holding Andover Township and our properties hostage. They've given us no choice but to fight."
It is June, and Public Service Electric & Gas Co. is acting as if it already has approval to upgrade the S-R powerline. It has offered to buy off the Highlands Council for $18.6 million, offered to buy out a homeowner near a new proposed substation on the Hopatcong/Sparta border for at least $925,000, and is offering to pay for easement modifications and temporary access roads.
Doesn't this all seem a little premature? The state Board of Public Utilities review process has barely begun, and a decision is not planned until December.
Based on what we know, it seems quite clear that the additional 500-kv line being proposed is not even a necessary part of the project. It will simply carry bulk power directly from Berwick, Pa. to Roseland, not benefiting anyone along the way.
PSE&G would benefit by making a huge profit on that energy, while residents in towns along the route in New Jersey would get towers up to 195 feet high, decreased property values, more noise, and a huge environmental scar.
Further, most, if not all of the power for that line, would be coal-generated power, which is not in the interest of New Jersey. The state's energy master plan has clear goals of reducing energy demand by 20 percent by 2020 and increasing renewable energy sources by a similar amount. The proposed line is a clear threat to those goals.
There are better, simple solutions that do not involve building 195-foot-high towers through our rural areas.
DAVID SLAPERUD Fredon
The writer is a trustee of the citizens' group Stop the Lines.
N.J. approves Morris solar energy initiative by Lawrence Ragonese/The Star-Ledger Thursday June 11, 2009, 9:09 PM
MORRIS -- The state has given the go-ahead to Morris County's plan to finance a countywide solar energy initiative, involving towns and schools districts, that would save money and be environmentally-friendly. The state Local Finance Board Wednesday unanimously approved the project, which will permit the Morris County Improvement Authority to issue up to $30 million in bonds, guaranteed by county government, to finance a program that calls for renewable energy sources. The program would start with solar panels, which would be installed on buildings of program participants. The effort could later include wind, hydro or water power, officials said. Initial participants will be county government, the Morris County Park Commission and the Boonton, Parsippany, Mountain Lakes, Morris Hills Regional and West Morris Regional school districts. "It's a great day for Morris County," said County Administrator John Bonanni, who was part of a contingent of Morris officials who trekked to Trenton to pitch the project to the Local Finance Board, which reviewed its integrity. As a result of getting a green light, the Improvement Authority can solicit requests for proposals for a "power purchase agreement" from a solar developer who would own, operate and maintain the equipment, according to Morris County Freeholder Bill Chegwidden. The county's goal is to start installing solar panels this summer, Bonanni said. The freeholders earlier this year allocated $500,000 to start up the project, which would be financed by county government and has drawn interest from more than 40 towns and schools districts. West Caldwell-based Metro Energy Solutions, an environmental consultant, was hired to examine school and government buildings of willing partners to see if they could be adapted for solar use and to determine potential costs and savings for each town or district. Factors include available and unobstructed roof space, conditions of building roofs, southern exposure to the sun, too much shade and existing electric usage. Boonton Schools Superintendent Christine Johnson told state officials the project would fiscally benefit school districts, noting they can lock into an energy purchase price for 15 years, while not incurring any debt to participate. She later said solar panels will be installed on two areas of roof at Boonton High School, including one section that will be improved at the county's expense. Morris Hills Superintendent Ernest Palestis also lauded the educational aspects of the project. "Teachers look forward to using the solar power units as living lessons about energy efficiency and alternate forms of energy," he said. There are a host of benefits to users, according to Improvement Authority attorney Stephen Pearlman. Included are lower energy costs, a cleaner source of energy, some protection from energy price fluctuations and learning tools for students and teachers. From a financial aspect, participants could receive state energy rebates, federal investment tax credits, solar energy certificates and could even make money by selling excess power during summer months to the energy grid for a power/energy credit, Pearlman said.
Local residents turn out to hear feds explain Riverbank power process
By Fran Hardy
Sparta — The director of Hydroelectric Licensing from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in Washington, D.C. gave two presentations last week on permitting and licensing application procedures for the proposed Riverbank Power hydroelectric facility at Limecrest Quarry. Ann Miles explained these procedures and answered questions in two well-attended sessions at both the Sparta and Andover municipal buildings last Thursday.
The focus of Miles’ talk was to clarify the steps in the preliminary permit and license application process and explain the current status of the project. Miles described a thorough and meticulous set of procedures that she said would be “as transparent as possible” to allow the public to see and comment on each step.
After plans for Riverbank’s $2 billion pumped storage facility were announced by Sparta’s Township Council in January, the surrounding communities of Andover and Byram launched campaigns against the project, citing potential environmental impacts and the encroachment of proposed power lines on their properties.
Riverbank officials have said stringent environmental and engineering studies are being conducted to minimize environmental impact. They have also agreed to investigate alternate routes for the controversial power lines.
Miles explained that Riverbank is in the early stages of the preliminary permit phase, which will allow them to conduct feasibility studies. Riverbank spokesman Andrew Rush said they hired Stantec Engineering, a globally recognized firm, to do drill testing at the Limecrest site, which could take at least one year. No date to begin the testing has been announced.
The commission’s process from pre-filing to issuing a license can take up to five years and will include a series of studies, including environmental assessments. “Information gathering is a huge part of examining a project,” Miles said. She said meetings will be held periodically as the process moves forward and that all meetings will be “noticed” for the public to attend. Miles encouraged the public to participate and let their questions, concerns, or support for the project be heard. To date, the most vocal and organized participants have been those opposed to the project.
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission operates under the Federal Power Act and “gives equal consideration to power and environmental uses of a waterway,” and “takes action that best serves the public interest for that waterway.”
Sparta has extolled the potential of the project to create “green,” renewable energy using the quarry’s vast water resource. Critics say the project is not “green” as it would use more energy than it pumps to the power grid. Sparta maintains the project is a step in the right direction because it could eventually be linked to wind power. Officials also say the $5 million per year revenue generated by the project and the 1,000 jobs created during construction and up to 75 permanent positions available thereafter will be a boon to the community. Andover and Byram have continued their strong opposition to the project and have each filed a “Motion to Intervene” with the commission.
What are your thoughts on the proposed project? Be part of the discussion. Go to
Andover Township — Mayor Bob Smith detailed the township’s opposition to the Sparta Pumped Storage project at a recent meeting with representatives from Sparta Township and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).
Smith’s PowerPoint presentation outlined the disruption of normal business, the unbudgeted funds required, and upset Andover residents, because of this project. The points covered also included Andover’s concerns with the health, safety, environmental and pollution issues which may result if the pumped storage facility is constructed. Quality of life and the drain on public services were other factors discussed.
Smith said Andover’s biggest concern was the water, and how pumping will affect the water levels.
Smith’s exhibits also depicted High Point Monument and said the monument is only slightly taller than the towers which will run the lines. The presentation inserted lines of the same height across the landscape and asked the viewer to envision how it will change the look of the landscape.
The presentation concluded with a statement suggesting FERC evaluate the impact of the project on Andover Township before any further action is taken.
Smith said the project itself is in its very initial stages and the entire process will take approximately three years. He also said an application is not a guarantee the project will come to fruition.
Regular e-mail correspondence has taken place between Smith and Riverbank Power CEO John Douglas. At each township committee meeting, Smith provides an update for the public.
His recent inquiry to Douglas asked for an update on when the drilling will be taking place to determine project feasibility, and also follow-up on the alternate power line routes which Riverbank Power was considering. Douglas told Smith there were no new updates.
SPARTA — A Federal Energy Regulatory Commission director made a swing north from Washington D.C. on Thursday in response to the controversy surrounding the township’s $2 billion underground hydroelectric project.
Her task: to lay the rules in the ongoing battle between proponents and opponents of the Riverbank project, proposed for the Limecrest Quarry off Limecrest Road in Sparta.
Ann Miles, FERC’s director of the division of hydroelectric licensing, held two local meetings to explain the progressing, years-long process to evaluate the 1,000-megawatt project.
Miles explained the process as a transparent one which would balance power needs with environmental impact, in determining the greater public interest.
“Early, often and openly” were the principles Miles said would guide public participation in the process, still at the earliest stages. The FERC process is twofold: the preliminary permit phase enables an applicant to conduct directed studies of environmental impacts and general feasibility, while the second, and more stringent licensing process would lead to construction and operation. The Riverbank project is less than half the way through the 2- to 3-year preliminary permit process, with an 18-month turnaround once the license application is filed.
Throughout, public comments will be accepted at several key phases, Miles said.
“If you’ve got something you disagree with, we’re going to hear you,” she said.
Opponents’ questions were limited to generalities about the process that the Riverbank project will have to follow. Several dozen at the morning Sparta meeting, and a smaller crowd at the more informal Andover meeting, asked questions pertaining to their ability to comment on the project. Almost all were pleased with the presentation, and the clear outline of the process that could lay the groundwork for the coming years.
“Obviously, it’s a long road... people are going to have to stay involved,” said Matt Lally, one of the founders of the opposition group Stop Riverbank. “We’re not going anywhere since Riverbank Sparta is holding Andover Township and our properties hostage. They’ve given us no choice but to fight.”
Sparta Mayor Brian Brady, one of the project’s proponents, agreed that the presentation put the whole process better in context. “I definitely have a much better understanding now,” he said.
Riverbank itself was pleased.
“The FERC process is a very clear and open one,” said company spokesman Andrew Rush. “We intend to reach out to the community and stakeholders as we go forward.”
Miles said, based on history, the permit is likely to be issued for a pumped-storage project such as Riverbank’s; however, most projects which make the permit do not graduate to the licensing process, for a variety of reasons.
“It is likely that the commission will decide to issue a permit... to study it,” Miles said.
The earliest comment period for the Riverbank project ended Monday. Some 70 comments were made by residents concerned about the project. Andover Township, Byram Township, Lake Mohawk Country Club, and the Dorset Farm Homeowners’ Association in Andover went even further, by filing as intervenors in the project.
The $2 billion project has generated debate in the region since its January unveiling. Objectors have been concerned about the route of the power lines, possible wetland impact and the project’s net loss of energy, since it would use more power than it would produce. Riverbank and the Sparta Town Council have extolled the commercial growth the 1,000-megawatt project would bring. About 1,000 construction jobs are projected for the first four years, followed by 50-75 permanent positions if the site is operational in 2015. The project also would bring $5 million annually to Sparta, or about one-quarter of the township’s annual budget.
The Thursday meetings were part of the public opportunity to understand the early stages of the process, Miles said; FERC often conducts similar meetings about highly-controversial projects across the country. The Sussex County meetings were set up by Mayor Brady, and Congressman Scott Garrett. Local officials seemed pleased with the results.
“I think it was good for everybody to see the thoroughness,” said State Sen. Steve Oroho. “Obviously, everything is going to be out in the open, as it should be.”
Riverbank Power letter dated May 20, 2009 to FERC Secretary Kimberly Bose advising that Riverbank Power is studying alternative transmission line routes for their Riverbank Sparta project (to view, open PDF below)-
Sparta Independent > News
Updated: May 27, 2009
Riverbank changes powerline course
Company plans to seek alternate routes for power lines
Sparta — Riverbank Power Company of Canada has officially notified the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission that it plans to look for a different path for 500 kilowatt power lines to connect its proposed $2 billion underground hydroelectric generation facility at Sparta’s Limecrest Quarry to a switching station several miles away. The original plan called for lines to follow a circuitous path running parallel to an existing power right of way through the Dorset Farms subdivision in Andover and on to a switching station in Jefferson. Andover residents as well as some Byram residents, who would also be in the path of the power lines, have been united in their vehement opposition to the plan.
Last week Riverbank representatives were in New Jersey to meet with state officials and environmentalists to discuss their Sparta project. They also met with representatives from Andover and Byram.
After their meetings with the town representatives, Riverbank said they would send a letter to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission saying they would amend their original application to seek alternate routes for the controversial power lines.
Last week PSE&G announced the Jefferson switching station may be moved to Hopatcong near the Weldon Quarry if their proposed Susquehanna-Roseland power line upgrade comes to fruition. The 45-mile project which could cost $750 million has also met with stiff opposition in Sussex County.
According to Riverbank officials, the change in location for the switching station should have no impact on the Limecrest Quarry hydroelectric facility. However, how this would affect possible routes for the power lines is not known at this time. Riverbank is still in the process of investigating alternate routes for the lines. http://www.strausnews.com/articles/2009/05/28/sparta_independent/news/2.txt
SPARTA -- A Canadian developer's two-day swing through New Jersey to promote its $2 billion underground hydroelectric project brought some changes to the project.
On Wednesday, Riverbank Power Corporation amended its application to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission by sending a letter saying it is investigating alternative transmission line routes.
The letter came after two groups from Byram and Andover Township, met with Riverbank and urged the company to propose alternative routes.
Byram and Andover in particular have become vocal opponents of the hydroelectric project since its January unveiling, based primarily on the proposed placement of the project's power lines. The initial application to the commission showed the 500-kilovolt lines traveling an indirect, west-south-east curving arc through Andover, Lafayette, Newton and Byram to a planned switching station in Jefferson.
However, that Jefferson station could be left on the drawing board. On Wednesday, PSE&G, who had been planning the switching station as part of its massive $750 million, 45-mile Susquehanna-Roseland power line upgrade, proposed a plan that moves the station to a site west of the Weldon Quarry in Hopatcong.
Riverbank spokesman Andrew Rush said Thursday the switching station change to Hopatcong would not have an effect on the hydroelectric project, or its tie-in to the bigger, though no less controversial, PSE&G project.
Last month, Riverbank told Andover Township it was considering two alternative transmission lines. However, there was no formal update to its application until after the meeting with local officials this week.
During its two-day trip to the Garden State, Riverbank met with state legislators and officials in Newark and Trenton, as well as local town representatives.
The $2 billion project has generated debate in the region since its January unveiling. Objectors have been concerned about the route of the power lines, possible wetland impact and the project's net loss of energy, since it would use more power than it would produce. Andover Township has hired an attorney to oppose the project.
Riverbank and the Sparta Town Council have extolled the commercial growth the 1,000-megawatt project would bring. About 1,000 construction jobs are projected for the first four years, followed by 50-75 permanent positions if the site is operational in 2015. The project also would bring $5 million annually to Sparta, or about one-quarter of the township's annual budget.
SPARTA -- Riverbank Power Corp. continued its latest swing through New Jersey Tuesday to promote its controversial $2 billion underground hydroelectric project at the township's Limecrest Quarry.
The opponents to the Canadian developer's project are multiplying as the plans progress.
After a meeting with Riverbank Monday evening, Byram Township announced it soon will become the latest entity applying for intervenor status on the project's application before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, according to Byram Councilman Scott Olson.
Andover Township, and a homeowner's association in that same town, also have filed to intervene in the project.
Olson met with Riverbank and Sparta Mayor Brian Brady Monday evening, and later that night, the council conferred for a few minutes in executive session. After that, the council publicly declared its intentions to intervene in Riverbank's FERC application.
Olson said Tuesday the meeting with Riverbank focused on alternate routes for the 500-kilovolt power lines. The project initially proposed an indirect, west-south-east curving arc through Andover -- and a small segment of Byram -- to a proposed power switching station in Jefferson Township. Olson said John Douglas, president and chief executive officer of Riverbank, said negotiations with property owners along two possible alternate routes still are ongoing.
The Monday meeting was a "calm and honest interchange of information," Olson said. However, some disagreement hinged on the terminology in the application, particularly the wording that the power lines will run "parallel" to the existing right-of-way.
Olson said his concern is the word "parallel" could mean possible eminent domain proceedings, considering the width of the right-of-way in the section of the Lake Mohawk Country Club within Byram Township's border. It is a worry that has been publicly voiced by residents living adjacent to existing lines in both Byram and Andover. Riverbank and Sparta Township both maintain condemnation is not necessary to complete the project.
"I told them, 'It's not that I don't trust you . . . but all I can trust is what the application says,' " Olson said Tuesday.
Riverbank also has said it would bury the power lines where necessary to avoid residential areas.
The $2 billion project has generated debate in the region since its January unveiling. Objectors have been concerned about the route of the power lines, possible wetland impact and the project's net loss of energy, since it would use more power than it would produce. Andover Township, which has been perhaps the most vocal opponent of the project, hired an attorney to oppose the project in March.
Riverbank and the Sparta Town Council have extolled the commercial growth the 1,000-megawatt project would bring. About 1,000 construction jobs are projected for the first four years, followed by 50-75 permanent positions if the site is operational in 2015.
The project also would bring $5 million annually to Sparta, or about one-quarter of the township's annual budget.
A special meeting is expected to be rescheduled by the Sparta Environmental Commission to discuss a Canadian company's plans to build a $2 billion electrical-transfer plant in a Sparta quarry.
The meeting will include a presentation by John Douglas, president and chief executive officer of Riverbank Power, of Ontario, as part of the company's "outreach program," said Riverbank Power spokesman Andrew Rush. A commission meeting scheduled for Monday was postponed yesterday due to scheduling conflicts.
Environmental Commission chairman Joseph Walsh said the session will give Riverbank Power an opportunity to present the "attributes of the project" that is vehemently opposed by Sussex County environmental activists.
"Obviously, there are a lot of concerns," said Walsh.
If built, the Riverbank Sparta Energy Center would create power during the day -- when demand is at its peak and most expensive -- by sending water down a 2,000-foot cavern to feed electricity-producing turbines.
The power would then be sold to a regional grid. During low-demand periods at night, the process is reversed and cheaper power is used to pump the water back up in a closed-loop, or recycling system, according to Riverbank.
Matt Lally, an organizer of Stop Riverbank, a Sparta-based grassroots environmental group that is opposed to the project, said the project would affect the aquifer, wells and water table and would adversely affect the overall quality of life in the region.
"It's an experimental project. Riverbank has no experience in building a facility of this scope," said Lally, who is expecting a large turnout of environmentalists at the future Riverbank meeting.
Riverbank would pay Sparta $5 million annually, or $500 million over the course of the 100-year lease for the Limecrest Quarry. Limecrest Quarry Developers, which owns 380 acres at the quarry and leases the remaining 172 acres from Sparta, would get $500,000 annually.
April 16, 2009- Andover Township, NJ files Motion to Intervene with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) for filing in response to the Preliminary Permit Application for Riverbank Sparta for the Sparta Pumped Storage Project. To see the full document open the link below.
May 7, 2009 SPARTA -- Test drilling for the proposed $2 billion hydroelectric project at the Limecrest Quarry still is being worked out, according to the developer.
Riverbank Power Corp., the Toronto-based hydroelectric firm, has changed its drilling plans from the original proposal, though.
The project now calls for six to eight weeks of drilling to begin shortly, said Riverbank spokesman Andrew Rush. What time of day the work will be done has not been determined, Rush said.
The original plans called for 15 days of round-the-clock drilling to determine whether the site had the right geology for the 2,000-foot-deep project. Those plans entailed the drilling to start within 60 days of the signing of the January agreement between Sparta Township and Riverbank.
The company has selected a vendor for the drilling but still is working out an agreement with the company, Rush said.
The Riverbank project has drawn criticism from residents since its January unveiling, mostly from people who live in neighboring Andover Township. The proposed power lines, which ran an indirect route through Andover, were the major point of contention at a series of municipal meetings in both towns. Since then, Riverbank has agreed to look at alternative routes for the 500-kilovolt lines.
Riverbank and the Sparta Town Council have extolled the commercial growth the $2 billion project would bring to the entire region. The hydroelectric plant will produce 1,000 megawatts of energy that would supply a regional power grid in the Northeast during peak hours.
The project also would bring $5 million annually to the township, or about 25 percent of its current budget, through taxes and rent.
It also would create about 1,000 construction jobs for four years and an additional 50-75 permanent jobs once the site is operational in 2015.
Local opponents have criticized the project's net loss of energy, since it would take more power to run the hydroelectric facility than it would ultimately produce. The project makes a profit by buying electricity at lower night costs, and selling it during peak day hours.
ANDOVER TOWNSHIP -- Riverbank has offered two alternative transmission line routes for its $2 billion Riverbank hydroelectric project in neighboring Sparta.
Andover Township Mayor Bob Smith received an e-mail from Riverbank President and CEO John Douglas stating there was progress in researching the miles-long, 500-kilovolt transmission lines for the 1,000-megawatt underground project planned for Limecrest Quarry.
At Andover's Monday night committee meeting, the mayor read the e-mail, which said preliminary engineering work had been completed on new proposed paths for the lines, and there also had been contact with one of the three right-of-way owners to determine access rights.
Exact details of the alternate routes were not included in the e-mail.
A Riverbank spokesman would not go into specifics about the alternate proposals Wednesday, but said work still was in progress.
"Our studies have only just begun and it would be premature to discuss the potential routes at this time," said Andrew Rush, the Riverbank spokesman.
Rush also said the company was committed to minimizing Riverbank's impact on residents in the area, which would include burying the power lines where possible.
Smith said after the meeting he was cautiously optimistic about the possibility of the alternative routes for the lines.
"I always like to think the glass is half full," he said Wednesday.
The $2 billion project was touted as an eco-friendly moneymaker that would net Sparta $5 million annually, as well as supplementing the power grid with power when it's at its most premium. Since the project's January unveiling, it has drawn heavy criticism, particularly from Andover residents and officials. Onlookers have pointed out the net loss of energy from the project, as well as general environmental impacts.
The transmission lines have been the foremost issue for critics, so far. The 500-kilovolt transmission lines, as described on Riverbank's preliminary permit application to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, were to run from the quarry parallel to the existing right-of-way and through an indirect curving route west, south and back east through Andover, ending in Jefferson.
The description and map of the lines prompted worries revolving around eminent domain and whether there were any potential health effects from the lines. After Andover hired an attorney in opposition to the project, Sparta, Andover and Riverbank officials met and agreed Riverbank would search for alternative routes.
The New Jersey Herald Riverbank scraps one of its three proposed hydroelectric projects
By SETH AUGENSTEIN saugenstein@njherald.com One of the three hydroelectric projects Riverbank Power Corporation has proposed for the Northeast has been scrapped, according to reports. The facility at Ogdensburg — a nearly-identical proposal to the $2 billion facility proposed by Riverbank in January — will not happen, according to a report published recently by the Watertown (N.Y.) Daily Times. In June, local officials approved a three-year option agreement for land near a bridge in the New York town — but Riverbank never signed the agreement. Instead, the Toronto-based energy company sent a letter March 30 to the Ogdensburg Bridge and Port Authority saying it would not approve the agreement — and the project would not proceed, according to the Times. “Unfortunately, Riverbank and the Ogdensburg Bridge and Port Authority never did come to terms on an agreement to site an Aquabank at that location,” said Andrew Rush, a spokesman for Riverbank. “They simply just couldn’t agree on terms with the landowners.” Rush said the Sparta project, and its negotiations, were completely separate from the Ogdensburg project. He said the third facility, the one proposed in Wiscasset, Maine, still is progressing in the planning stage. The Ogdensburg and Wiscasset proposals are nearly identical to Sparta’s proposed underground hydroelectric plant. The 1,000- megawatt Aquabank facilities would use more energy than they would produce, but would generate a profit from the energy price differences by producing more-expensive energy during the day, then using energy during the cheaper nighttime hours. In Sussex County, the Riverbank proposal has brought out a groundswell of opposition from several towns — particularly Andover Township, which harbors the majority of the indirect route of the 500-kilovolt transmission lines. Ogdensburg saw similar opposition from the New York Department of Conservation and the New York Power Authority; both of those organizations filed to intervene in Riverbank’s approvals process with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. The application to the commission for the Sparta project has just reached its public comment period. Groups and individuals can comment on the project until June 1. Comment can be posted online at www.ferc.gov. Created: 4/11/2009 | Updated: 4/11/2009 http://www.njherald.com/story/news/riverbank-4-12-2009
From the Watertown Daily Times Hydro plant project canceled
OBPA DEAL: Canadian company pulls out on plan OK'd in June By MAX R. MITCHELLTIMES STAFF WRITER
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 8, 2009 OGDENSBURG, NY — Riverbank Power, a Canadian energy company, has ended negotiations on an agreement to set up a $2 billion pumped-storage hydroelectric plant here, according to officials from the Ogdensburg Bridge and Port Authority.For more than a year the company has eyed OBPA property for Aquabank, the proposed underground power plant capable of generating up to 1,000 megawatts of electricity. In June, the OBPA board of directors approved a three-year option agreement for land near the Ogdensburg-Prescott International Bridge, but Riverbank executives never signed it, according to OBPA Executive Director Wade A. Davis. He said the company sent a letter to the authority March 30 saying it would not approve the agreement and that the project would not proceed any further."We've lived up to our end of the obligation. We've done everything we agreed to in June," Mr. Davis said. The agreement included a three-year contract for the land ending June 24, 2011, and required written approval from the state comptroller and attorney general, which the authority secured recently.Mr. Davis did not give further details about the agreement or what specifically turned the power company away.Riverbank Power President and Chief Executive Officer John C. Douglas did not return phone calls seeking comment Tuesday.Last month, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission gave preliminary approval to Riverbank's proposal, which gave the company three years to explore the feasibility of the project, including environmental impact, equipment operation, distribution and economics. The proposed plant, which would pump water into the facility during the day and flush it back into the river at night when power demand is low, included massive underground storage facilities capable of holding up to 1 billion gallons of water. The proposal stirred concerns within the state Department of Environmental Conservation and the New York Power Authority, both of which filed for intervenor status with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Both agencies expressed concern over the environmental effect of removing massive amounts of water from the river during the day, and replacing it at night.Officials expected the project could create 600 temporary and 100 permanent jobs. http://www.watertowndailytimes.com/article/20090408/NEWS05/304089950
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Accepts Riverbank Power's Preliminary Permit Application to proceed with feasibility studies. This permit has been accepted with the proposed new 5.7-mile-long, 500 kV double circuit transmission line (proposed routing submitted with the application). If you are concerned about this, you should submit your comments to FERC. See our Links page for information on how to do this. Also, contact your representatives and let them know how you feel about this.
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION
Riverbank Sparta, LLC Project No. 13353-000
Notice of Preliminary Permit Application Accepted for Filing and Soliciting Comments,
Motions to Intervene, and Competing Applications
(April 2, 2009)
On January 21, 2009, Riverbank Sparta, LLC, filed an application pursuant to section
4(f) of the Federal Power Act, proposing to study the feasibility of the Sparta Pumped Storage
Project No. 13353-000, to be located at the Limecrest Quarry in Sparta Township, Sussex
County, New Jersey.
The proposed Sparta Pumped Storage Project would consists of: (1) the existing
Limecrest Quarry (upper reservoir); (2) four new 13-foot-diameter vertical penstocks
leading to a powerhouse 2,000 feet underground; (3) a new powerhouse containing four
250-megawatt (MW) generating units with a total installed capacity of 1,000 MW;
(4) water leaving the turbines, would temporarily be stored in six new underground
storage galleries (lower reservoir); (5) a new 5.7-mile-long, 500 kV double circuit
transmission line; and (6) appurtenant facilities. The estimated average annual energy
production is 2,190 gigawatt-hours.
Applicant Contact: Mr. John Douglas, President and CEO; c/o Riverbank Power
Corporation; Royal Bank Plaza; South Tower, Box 166; 200 Bay Street, Suite 3110;
SPARTA -- The public now has until June 1 to offer comment on the controversial $2 billion underground hydroelectric project planned for the Limecrest Quarry.
Riverbank Power Corp.'s application for Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's preliminary permit to test the site was deemed complete Thursday, and started the clock on the 60-day window for comment -- for and against -- on the government agency's Web site.
"Now is the opportunity ... for anybody to file comment," said Barbara Connors, a commission spokeswoman.
The application before the commission outlines the massive project's scope, including a total of 2,190 gigawatt-hours of power produced annually -- and the controversial, indirect power-line route through neighboring Andover Township, which has drawn the opposition of residents who live near the proposed path of the 500-kilovolt transmission lines.
The subterranean project, unveiled by the Sparta Township Council in January, was lauded as a "renewable" and "green" moneymaker for the town from its outset. Sparta stands to collect $5 million from the project annually, if built. However, it quickly was determined the facility would use more power than it would produce, and would generate profit from the difference between night- and day-energy prices.
In the weeks that followed Riverbank's public introduction, the project has driven a wedge of controversy between Sparta and neighboring Andover. Power line routes, environmental impact and financial gain fueled cross-border accusations. Meetings of the towns' governing bodies drew full rooms and capacity crowds for several weeks.
"It seems as if they get the goldmine, and we get the shaft," Andover Committeeman Phil Boyce said at one point. A Sparta councilman countered that Andover's concerns were "much ado about nothing."
Perhaps the most outspoken opponents of the proposal have come from the Dorset Farm development. The homeowners' association there filed a motion to intervene in the process on March 20. Sally Chernati, the president of the association, said the group wanted to hold Sparta and Riverbank to their word that they would pursue other routes for the power lines, besides the geographically-indirect route through Andover.
"We want them to make sure Riverbank puts those alternate lines in the application before FERC looks at it," Chernati said Monday.
Riverbank plans to begin its test drilling at the Limecrest Quarry this month. According to a Riverbank spokesman, that drilling can proceed because of the direct agreement between Sparta and Riverbank, and is not subject to FERC approval. Instead, state Department of Environmental Protection and local approvals will be required for the 24-hour, 15-consecutive-day test drilling at the quarry.
Andover Township n More than 100 residents from Dorset Farms, Drake Manor and other parts of the township, as well as neighboring municipalities, gathered for an informational session at the Farmstead Golf & Country Club on March 29. The event was mostly led by residents of Dorset Farms, who are in opposition to the proposed Sparta Hydroelectric Plant project.
The Andover Township Committee and residents learned of the pumped storage project through news reports approximately three weeks ago, and since then, have mobilized to investigate aspects and effects of the project, to gather and form subcommittees, and to speak out in opposition and encourage others to do so.
Matt Lally, a resident of Dorset Farms, who has also created and maintains the group’s Web site, Stop Riverbank Sparta, http://www.stopriverbank.com, talked about health risks of exposure to electromagnetic fields, which may include childhood leukemia, adult brain cancer, ALS and miscarriage. He discussed possible damage to the aquifer, wildlife and wetlands. Lally said sinkholes may result from pumping at the proposed plant, and seismic activities could occur from drilling. He questioned the “speculative nature” of the financing, including whether Sparta used Open Space funds towards it.
Riverbank Sparta LLC, the company specifically formed for the project, is considered a foreign entity according to Lally.
Bob Dole, who has been a vocal opponent asked, “Does a municipality have the right to gain financial impact when another community is bearing their health and environmental impacts?”
Dole said Sparta Mayor Brian Brady and Riverbank have been distancing themselves from the proposed project impacts, while promoting themselves as land owners. “If you own property, you own the good, the bad and the ugly,” he said.
A number of members of the group agreed Sparta has been distancing itself and want Sparta Riverbank to contact FERC for a temporary suspension of the application until an alternate route is chosen.
Other residents spoke and a number of local politicians were there as citizens. They included Deputy Mayor of Andover Gail Phoebus, Andover Township Committeeman Tom Walsh and Byram Town Councilman Scott Olson, who has been vehemently opposed to the PSE&G Susquehanna-Roseland project, which calls for new heavy duty 500 kilovolt lines to run through the county.
Although the PSE&G and Riverbank projects are separate, both will meet at the planned Jefferson switching station.
Members were encouraged to comment on the FERC application Web site. Directions on how to do this is on the links section of the Stop Riverbank Sparta Web site.
At the conclusion of the meeting, Dole said, “Riverbank is not here for preliminary evaluation, so pay attention. We are not an angry mob; we consist of a number of concerned citizens. Please stay involved and be active.”
No one from Riverbank, PSE&G, the Sparta government or Limecrest Quarry was present at the meeting.
Photo by Daniel Freel/New Jersey Herald
The New Jersey Herald Sparta power plant draws ire
LAFAYETTE -- A local group opposed to Sparta's proposed $2 billion underground hydroelectric plant continues to voice concerns about the project.
An informational meeting for Dorset Farm neighborhood residents Sunday drew more than 100 people from Andover and the surrounding municipalities as they gathered at the Farmstead Golf and County Club.
Residents listened as members of the Stop Riverbank group expressed their disapproval of the project.
"The reason we are so passionate about this is because we live in a great place," said Dorset Farm resident Bob Dole. "We don't want this community to be destroyed, and this project will destroy our community."
The Riverbank project has been proposed for the Limecrest Quarry in Sparta, and Sparta stands to reap $5 million annually. Riverbank also projects 1,000 local construction jobs during a four-year period. The quarry, site of a natural aquifer the township bought in 2007 for $2.45 million, is located mostly in Sparta, as well as parts of Andover and Lafayette townships.
Riverbank's Federal Energy Regulatory Commission application filed in January lays out a transmission line on an existing right-of-way running from the quarry west, south, then east and south through Andover, parts of Lafayette, Byram and Newton, ending at a proposed Jefferson power switching station.
"Our goal is to ultimately stop the project," said Sally Chernati, president of the Dorset Farm Homeowner's Association. "Not just because of the transmission lines but also because of the devastation to Andover, Byram, Sparta and the surrounding areas."
In a previous presentation to the Sparta Township Committee, Riverbank President and CEO John Douglas said Riverbank Power would drill a 2,000-foot shaft deep into a scooped-out, second reservoir underneath the current aquifer. The man-made waterfall would turn four enormous turbines, generating electricity at the subterranean plant during peak day hours.
At off-peak, night hours, the water would be pumped back up to the reservoir using traditional power sources -- generating power and profit without disturbing the natural aquifer.
"This project is being positioned by Sparta officials and Riverbank as green and non-impacting. It is not green or non-impacting," Dorset Farm resident Matt Lally said. "It uses more power than it produces."
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is reviewing Riverbank's preliminary permit. Once approved, there will be at least a 30-day period to allow citizens to file comments.
"We are requesting that all concerned citizens file comments," Chernati said. "A sustained opposition to the project is important, please get involved."
Lally also voiced health and safety concerns, and the possible risks associated with electromagnetic fields from high voltage power transmission lines, which include the increased risk of childhood leukemia, adult brain cancer, ALS and miscarriage, although studies have yielded varying results about whether these potential health risks exist.
"Current proposed routing of transmission lines runs directly through established neighborhoods where hundreds of children live and play," he said.
Environmental concerns, he said, include possible damage to ground water aquifers, which could affect public and private wells, and the possible impact on the Paulinskill River. He said he also is worried about the possible impact on other nearby rivers and streams, possible impact on wetlands and the possible impact on wildlife, including protected species.
"If there is any potential for any kind of environmental damage, the project should not proceed," Lally said.
Area residents in attendance also expressed concerns not connected to health issues.
"We live here and we're concerned about the value of our homes, the traffic and the whole quality of life," said RoseMarie Tiefenbacher, a resident of the Victoria Pines section of Andover Township.
"It's the almighty dollar that is driving the project," said Tiefenbacher's neighbor Irene Christodlous, as she echoed her neighbor's concerns.
"Riverbank hears the concerns of Andover residents," said Sparta Mayor Brian Brady, who did not attend the meeting. "They need to be patient and let them work things out."
"My big concern is this." Dole told the audience. "Does another municipality, in this case Sparta, have the right to gain all of the financial benefits from a project like this when we are bearing all of the health and environmental impacts of the project?"
"If they want to be a good neighbor, they need to show us," he added.
"I'm all for being the good neighbor," Brady said. "But I want the truth to be told. I don't like people making assumptions. Sparta has been open and transparent as soon as we could be. We went public as quickly as we could."
"We are not an angry mob," Dole said. "We are a concerned group of citizens who are concerned about our community."
ANDOVER TOWNSHIP -- The Andover Township Committee has hired an attorney to oppose a project of its neighbor to the south, Sparta.
At a crowded Monday night meeting, Andover unanimously voted to hire a law firm for its opposition to the $2 billion Riverbank Power Corp. underground hydroelectric project at the Limecrest Quarry near the towns' border. The township also hired its own hydrogeologist to evaluate the project.
About 150 Andover citizens and committee members in the packed room hung most of their objections on the proposed 500-kilovolt transmission line following an indirect route west through Andover to a new Jefferson power substation -- 5.7 miles southeast of the quarry.
Other misgivings center around the benefits of the project for both towns -- Sparta could profit $5 million annually from the project while Andover could be impacted by traffic and environmental drawbacks, it has been said.
The committee acknowledged a Monday morning meeting with Sparta officials, and said the dialogue was productive, but also adversarial at times, particularly about the power lines.
"I would like to see alternates two and three and as many more as they have," Andover Mayor Bob Smith said. "The one we like the best of all, if it's possible, is to run that right from the quarry right down into the Jefferson station through Sparta."
If the committee was careful in voicing its opposition, the residents were outright angry. Bob Dole, speaking for homeowners in the Dorset Farms section of Andover, said home values in his neighborhood already have dropped with the possibility of the project.
"Frankly, we're skeptical of the dialogue with Sparta," Dole said. "We don't want the permit process, frankly, to even get started. We think we should move aggressively against it."
The committee said they are taking precautionary steps to assess the project before it commences.
"I think Sparta wants to be a good neighbor with us, but I think we have to look at them in this case as if they were a . . . developer, not a neighboring town," said Committeeman Phil Boyce.
"The carpetbaggers of Riverbank and Sparta need to know if they're going to do this, they're going to be in for the fight of their lives," said Ed Zajkowski, an Andover resident.
The $2 billion Riverbank Power Corp. project has drawn critics since its January unveiling, including environmental groups, such as the Sierra Club, who have called it "green scam." It is a 1,000-megawatt, underground pumped-water storage system that would produce energy during peak hours, and then use off-peak energy to pump the water back to the surface of the Limecrest Quarry, but at a net loss of power.
The quarry, which the township bought in 2007 for $2.45 million because of its natural aquifer, is located mostly in Sparta but also parts of Andover and Lafayette townships.
SPARTA -- The council has plans to convert its part of the Limecrest Quarry into a high-powered money maker.
The township has taken out a legal notice announcing its intentions to accept bids for a 50-year, $5.5-million annual lease of the property for a hydroelectric-generating facility around the spring-fed water source.
If an eventual source of hydroelectric power comes to the quarry, the $5.5-million rent Sparta could collect as a landlord would amount to more than 25 percent of the township's last municipal budget.
The notice is a preliminary step for the multi-year, meticulous process of researching the power possibility at Limecrest. The bids will be accepted beginning Jan. 21.
The winning bidder will pay for its own evaluation of the site, including a minimum $150,000 for drill testing, as well as the necessary permits from various government agencies.
The lease also would have guaranteed consumer price index increases during the lease period, which has two, 25-year extension options.
The Limecrest Quarry pit has a natural spring that brings 6 million gallons of water daily from the Germany Flats aquifer.
The water was the primary asset officials touted during their purchase of the property last year, when the township acquired 172 acres of the quarry property from C.C. Cox, LLC for $2.45 million. Since then, legal wranglings have swirled between Sparta and the owner of the rest of the 572-acre quarry, Limecrest Quarry Developers -- a company run by prominent Sussex County real estate developer Eugene Mulvihill.
Most recently, the lawsuit and negotiations between Sparta and Limecrest have culminated in an extended lease agreement with guarantees for doubling the tonnage of material quarried at the site through 2037.
Mayor Brian Brady said the possibility of the hydroelectric facility was the product of many months of work, and the terms, in conjunction with Limecrest Quarry Developers, still were being worked out leading to the Jan. 21 bidding process.
"It could be real positive for the town," Brady said.
Township Manager Henry Underhill said the plans for the hydroelectric facility would be a joint project with Mulvihill's company because the project would involve both properties. However, the terms of the agreement between the two entities have yet to be determined.
Underhill also said there are no specific numbers involved in the power output of the quarry project -- although he said the wattage could be significant. The power would feed into a grid that provides power to parts of 13 states in the region through PJM Interconnection, an electricity wholesaler.
Please note that this website was created by citizens concerned about the proposed Riverbank Sparta pumped storage project.It is intended as a source of information for those of like concerns regarding this project. There is no intent of libel or defamation towards Riverbank Power Corporation, The Township of Sparta or its Council members, or any other entity. Any errors or omissions of information on this website are unintentional, and should be brought to our attention using the e-mail link provided on this website.
...to protect our health, safety and quality of life
