A resident told the Butte County Board of Supervisors on Sept. 9 that allowing a biomass plant in Oroville’s South Side would harm an already disadvantaged community and raised environmental-justice, air-quality and contamination concerns linked to the site’s Superfund history.

Kathy Bridal, speaking during public comment, said the county had previously signed a letter supporting biomass development in January 2023 and argued that the county and regional air-quality agency would likely be involved in permits for a large biomass facility in Oroville. “Developing [a] biomass plant in Oroville is a county issue,” Bridal said, and added that Oroville’s South Side “is a disadvantaged community… [and] to consider allowing biomass plant in the known toxic Superfund area of the South Side Of Oroville is not a responsible choice in addressing environmental justice for your constituents.”

Bridal told supervisors she had written to her district supervisor and received a response that the project “is not a county issue,” but that the board’s 2023 letter supporting biomass development suggested otherwise. She listed anticipated community harms including air emissions, truck traffic and wastewater and asked the board to act in the interest of public health.

The comment also referenced statements by the Butte County District Attorney on Aug. 26, 2025, noting “ongoing legal environmental issues” near the Superfund site. Bridal asked the board to consider the cumulative impacts on air, water and soil and to weigh alternatives such as cleaner electricity sources.

Discussion vs. decision: This was public comment. The board did not take action on the biomass project at the meeting; supervisors did not announce a position in response.

What's next: The comment was placed on the record; any county permitting, environmental review or agency actions would be subject to separate processes and, if required, public hearings.