Warsaw city councilman Charlie Smith offered a plastic gallon bag of filthy paper towels during the Monday council meeting, saying the filth was wiped from a relatively small glass outdoor table at his house.

Smith, who lives half a mile from Dalton Foundries, said he, along with a couple of neighbors, was filing a formal complaint about the droppings.

The table was wiped clean once. Two hours later it was cleaned again because it was just as dirty, he said.

Warsaw Mayor Ernie Wiggins said he would call Dalton Corp. president Joe DeRita first thing today.

"Evidently something's happened," Smith said. "It's been bad and getting worse. The vibrations are back, too.

"There comes a point in time when something must be done."

He said everything outside is ruined by the emissions.

Dalton Foundries has been at its present location since 1913 and makes steel castings for engines, transmissions, air conditioning units and other steel items. During the production process, Dalton recycles 400 tons of steel per day and pours 825 tons to make the castings.

The company's most recent violation was filed by IDEM's enforcement office March 6 for allowing "fugitive emissions from the scrapyard and smoke from the Herman II cooling stacks to cross property lines at ground level" on Oct. 31, 2001.

No other violations have been filed by the enforcement officers, according to IDEM media relations representative Amy Hartsock.

Prior to the March violation, the company was cited July 15, 1999, for constructing and operating 23 phenolic urethane core making machines between 1976 and 1996 without applying for construction or operating permits. [[In-content Ad]]