Bus Rider, if you’ll click on the attachment on the bottom of the entry entitled “Formal Complaint: Hidden Hollow Energy 2 LLC vs. Idaho Power” you can see the material we are referring to to in the paragraph you quoted above. It’s a bit dense but gives a detailed timeline of the events.

To answer Karen Ragland, a partial oxidation gasifier like Dynamis doesn’t create much methane – not enough to sell to anyone. It is burnt, which does create carbon dioxide but is much less harmful then methane.

Dynamis should have a system in place to clean up/control emissions on the back end, but we’d prefer a little CO2 escaping into the air over approximately 50% of the methane that escapes a landfill, even with methane capture.

Commissioner Sharon Ullman explained that the $2 million was not from taxpayers, although I can’t remember now where she said it came from. You can probably find it on her blog.

It will be interesting to see what the county comes back and says in response to Hidden Hollow Energy. The country is watching – that’s for sure.

My question, though, is whether or not Idaho Power severed its power purchase agreement with HHE and, if so, would that influence the tort claim one way or t’other?

(In re: the Hidden Hollow methane production at AC Landfill)

“In fact, in June 2011 it came to Idaho DEQ’s attention that “certain contaminant levels had increased to a level such that Ada County was no longer in compliance with its existing air quality permit.” Ada County, Idaho DEQ and Hidden Hollow Energy have worked to find a solution but have not been successful. Idaho Power severed its power purchase agreement with Hidden Hollow Energy as a result of the company failing to meet its operation deadline of Feb. 28, 2012.”

(Link: http://betterbtuprojects.blogspot.com/2012/07/project-update-local-energy-company.html)

EDITOR NOTE–Sounds like it is true based on GUARDIAN conversations with DEQ. This involves the gas that escapes from the landfill that is not “flared” off. As we understand it, there is a chemical change with the sulphur once it is burned, but honestly we can’t remember the change from Sulphur Dioxide or to sulphur dioxide after burning. But, yes they are out of compliance at present.

Why do we need Dynamis to burn trash and as they stated old tires to further pollute our already crappy air at certain times of the year?

I call this project an insult to citizens of the valley and the Ada Commissioners need to be hung up by their petards for this monkey business.

The answer to your question is contained in Idaho State Code 31-2018 COUNTY OFFICIALS — LIMITATION ON PERSONAL LIABILITY. Law states in part: “Each county shall indemnify its officials and employees against all losses of public moneys or property, except those which are the result of negligence, gross negligence, or intentional conduct by the public official or employee, pursuant to the authority in the Idaho tort claims act.”

KTA

Or do the taxpayers pay for their mistakes? Even if illegal?

A CEO would get canned for sure. Vote carefully; look at the mess in Boise County.