LONGVIEW — A dozen or so people gathered in Longview’s Magpie Books on Aug. 28 to talk about how a proposed $250 million biomass fuel plant would impact the area — and how to stop the plan in its tracks.

“Essentially, what they’re asking us to do is to cut down our forest for firewood,” said Longview resident Diane Dick, a 71-year-old environmentalist and former Kelso school board member.

“Then take more energy to dry it and chop it off and convert it into pellets,” she continued as those in attendance nodded, “and then spend more energy to ship it to Asia or somewhere else where they’re going to turn it into electricity.”

The event was put on by Alliance for Community Engagement Southwest Washington, a nonprofit aimed at community education and empowerment, according to its website.

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