Springfield advocates and councilors press for clarity after court order on biomass plant permit

The Health and Human Services Committee met to review the legal status and health risks tied to a long‑disputed biomass plant project in East Springfield after recent court activity and a zoning board vote reinstating a building permit. Committee members and community speakers urged the city to confirm whether the original permit issued to Palmer Paving transferred to a successor company and how much time remains on the permit.

Ken Shea of the city law department said the controlling legal question is whether permits issued to Palmer Paving automatically passed to the new owner. "Under Massachusetts laws, under chapter 43d, section 11, permits do not automatically transfer to the new entity," Shea said, adding that a successor can request a transfer from the building department but that he had not yet received a response from the building…