From an editorial in the Wausau Daily Herald:
The debate about the proposed Rothschild biomass plant has at times been a heated one. The proposal would pair a biomass-fueled We Energies electric plant with the existing Domtar paper mill in Rothschild.
The citizens’ group that opposes building that plant, Save Our Air Resources, or SOAR, has at times been openly confrontational toward those its members perceive as wanting to stifle that debate — or those who simply disagree with them.
But SOAR has forced a public conversation about the plant, and that is a good thing.
That conversation continues in today’s Wausau Daily Herald, which includes an in-depth look at the questions raised by biomass opponents, as well as a discussion of the projected benefits — economic and environmental — of the plant.
The Daily Herald’s Editorial Board has met with representatives from We Energies, Domtar and SOAR. We have editorialized in favor of a thorough study of the plant’s environmental impact. We’re proud that the paper has provided a thorough look at the pros and cons of the project.
On balance, we continue to see the substantial, concrete benefits of this project as outweighing the costs, at least some of which seem to have been overstated by biomass opponents.