Ruth Platner

About Ruth Platner

Ruth is the current Chair of the Charlestown Planning Commission and has been involved in land use issues in Charlestown for over 20 years.

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books

Preparing for the December 5 Hearing on Water Withdrawal from Charlestown

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When: Tuesday, December 5 at 6 p.m. (doors open at 5 p.m.)
Where: Charlestown Elementary School, 363 Carolina Back Road (Rt. 112), Charlestown
What: The purpose of the hearing is to hear your public comment.
Who: This is entirely the Energy Facility Siting Board’s (EFSB) hearing. This is not a Town meeting and the Charlestown government has not been allowed to make a formal presentation. The applicant however gets an opportunity to present to the public and the hearing will begin with a presentation by the applicant Invenergy Thermal Development LLC.
Ideas for questions to ask the EFSB on Tuesday night are at the end of this post.

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contract

Taking the Water Withdrawal Contract at its “Face Value”

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In denying the Tribal Council’s motion to intervene, the EFSB claimed approval of the motion would put the EFSB in the position of taking a side in internal tribal politics, instead they would just take the contract between Invenergy and “two members of the Tribe”, Matthew Thomas and John Brown, at its “face value”.

Since this November 27 EFSB hearing I have wondered what the EFSB meant by the “face value” of the contract. And what is that face value?

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Ruth Platner

The Energy Facility Siting Board, like any other public body in Rhode Island, is subject to the Open Meeting Act

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Letter from Ruth Platner: “The Energy Facility Siting Act requires that the EFSB base their decision on a finding that the applicant has shown that there will not be “unacceptable harm to the environment and [that the proposal] will enhance the socio-economic fabric of the state”. With the facts of the water withdrawal hidden from the public, is the EFSB expecting us to just trust their judgment?”

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Invenergy

Where Will The Water Go? Learn More About The Invenergy Power Plant

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When: Tuesday, November 21 at 7 p.m.
Where: Cross Mills Library (map in post)
What: Invenergy plans to withdraw groundwater from Charlestown and carry it by tanker trucks to Burrillville where it will cool the turbines of the proposed gas and oil fueled power plant. You can learn all about the project that will use this water at this informational meeting.
Who: This event is sponsored by the Rhode Island Association of Conservation Commissions and the Burrillville Land Trust. Burrillville Land Trust President, Paul A. Roselli will lead the presentation and discussion.

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Water Tanker Truck

Questions About Impacts of Tanker Truck Traffic Carrying Water to Burrillville

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Once we get more reliable data, we’ll be able to assess impacts such as safety, noise, air quality, cumulative damage to roads, and energy used. Invenergy will pay for the water, but all these other costs associated with health, safety, and diminished quality of life will be borne by the communities the trucks pass through. And it all depends on how much water is trucked on any given day.

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Ruth Platner

Planning Commission Chair Ruth Platner’s Testimony at Burrillville Power Plant Hearing

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The Energy Facilities Siting Board should not allow the developers of the Invenergy power plant to use an agreement to withdraw groundwater from within the Town of Charlestown to satisfy any requirement for a backup water supply because of insufficient notice to the Town of Charlestown, insufficient information provided to the Town, and a need for the Siting Board to seek additional legal advice.

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What We Learned at Solar 101

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Over 75 Charlestown residents attended the Solarize Charlestown program at Cross Mills Library on June 27 to learn about the State Incentives, Federal Tax Credits, and group purchasing power made possible by the partnership of the State of Rhode Island and the Town of Charlestown that make this an affordable time to add solar panels to your roof.

If you missed the program or just want to review the June 27 presentation, we have put together a slide show with a short summary of what we learned.

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Ruth Platner

Ruth Platner: Seeking a More Productive and Civil Discourse

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Since 2010, Charlestown Town Councils have worked well with most commissions by practicing the philosophy of government that recommends you keep your political opposition close and work with them to reduce acrimony and find common ground. But a small faction of the Parks and Recreation Commission has used their appointments to politicize the commission to attack the Town Council.

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bargraphdrafteis_comments

The lack of data allows the FRA to grossly underestimate the human, environmental, cultural, and agricultural impacts

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The EIS, planning, and preliminary engineering etc., is prepared by Parsons Brinkerhoff/AECOM Joint Venture. It’s reported that $40 million has been spent so far on this planning process. How hard would it be to spend a few more pennies to write a letter stating that the plan includes “new rails and a new rail route in your community”. Or better yet, why not have included the towns in the scoping process from the very beginning?

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Blumenthal

Blumenthal Not On-board Reed’s Train – He’s Taking A Different Track

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Connecticut’s US Senator Richard Blumenthal held a town meeting at the Old Lyme Connecticut Town Hall at noon on Thursday, December 22 to discuss the Federal Railroad Administration’s plan for the “Old Saybrook to Kenyon” bypass.

He said this proposal must be countered and combated, it must not be allowed to be approved as a plan.

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