The Biomass Crop Assistance Program is once again in danger of losing funding if Rep. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., has his way (see http://www.biomassmagazine.com/articles/5292/bcap-on-the-chopping-block-again).

If the BCAP is important to you, I suggest you contact your representatives in Washington immediately and convey your concerns to them.

I’m not going to write anything more about it because the situation is going to be so fluid from now until the actual budget is enacted.

In other biomass news:

Recent action by the U.S. EPA and the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District should convince the anti-biomass crowd that regulatory agencies are closely monitoring biomass power facilities and can be trusted to act when they believe the public health is in danger.

The agencies lodged consent decrees against two biomass power plants in Chowchilla and El Nido, Calif. The two companies, which are biomass power plants, have agreed to pay a combined civil penalty of $835,000 to resolve alleged violations of the federal Clean Air Act and district rules, including exceeding emissions of air pollutants such as nitrogen oxides and fine particulates, according to a press release from the EPA.

The agencies are also requiring that the facilities install devices to improve monitoring and reporting of air pollutants; enhance automation of the control systems for nitrogen oxides emissions; and prepare more stringent control plans to minimize emissions of air pollutants, according to the EPA. (see http://www.biomassmagazine.com/articles/5287/two-california-biomass-plants-fined-for-emissions-violations)

The companies have installed controls reduce emissions of nitrogen oxides and carbon monoxide and the regulatory agencies will continue to monitor the facilities for another two years to make sure they are in compliance.