Aug 13 - McClatchy-Tribune Regional News - George Miller Erie Times-News, Pa.

Erie Renewable Energy LLC will take the case for its proposed tires-to-energy plant to local political and business leaders.

The invitation list includes many of Erie's most influential people -- the mayor, county executive, city and county councils, the Erie School Board, the county Board of Health and the board of the Erie Regional Chamber and Growth Partnership.

About 75 people in all.

But the list does not include the general public.

And that's by design.

The symposium, which will be Aug. 21 is for invited guests only.

The event will take place at 4 p.m. at the Bel-Aire Clarion Hotel and Conference Center, 2800 W. Eighth St., in Millcreek Township.

ERE President Gregory J. Rubino said the company wants a closed session to allow "civil discourse."

He said his meeting will offer a counterpoint to the recent Erie City Council meetings at which opponents vigorously voiced their objections to the plant.

"That is not a civil discourse," he said. "That is just ranting and raving, and scare tactics."

He was critical of the methods used by plant opponents.

"Their method is character assassination, misinformation and scare tactics," he said. "Frankly, it's reprehensible. My method is facts and figures that are supported by science."

He said the symposium is intended to disseminate the science behind the plant to key members of the community.

However, the closed meeting does not sit well with members of the group representing the plant's opponents, Keep Erie's Environment Protected.

Randy Barnes, K.E.E.P.'s president, questioned why a private meeting is needed.

Residents have questions they want answered, just as public officials do, he said.

"Why wouldn't they want to do that in a public forum ... to let everyone know who has questions about the plant?" he said.

He disagreed with Rubino's characterization of his group and the plant's other opponents.

"We're all about the facts," he said.

Rubino said the company will likely allow a reporter from the Erie Times-News to attend, just as it did for a Feb. 8 symposium, but company officials have not made a final decision.

Rubino said the symposium is the result of requests from various agencies and governmental groups for details on the proposed $235 million plant, called Port Erie Power. The plant is to be on the former International Paper Co. property.

He said experts will present information on the plant's circulating fluidized bed boiler and its emissions control systems. It will be similar to a presentation made at the firm's Feb. 8 symposium for local and regional business people interested in supplying materials, equipment or services to the plant.

Elected officials were invited to that symposium, but few were able to attend, Rubino said.

"A lot of this will be the same," he said. "The technology hasn't changed. This is really a session where they can get facts, figures and truly reliable information. It seems so many of them have been misled."

Barnes said the symposium should address the health-impact assessment recommended by the Erie County Medical Society.

The technology "is pretty much known stuff," Barnes said. "It is the unknown the public is concerned about -- the health effects."

The company has filed an application with the state Department of Environmental Protection for an air-quality permit. That application is pending. The company has also been seeking city zoning approval for the plant.

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