Dozens of Atwood residents voiced their displeasure and frustration with a lack of action concerning the Nature's Fuel plant in their town Wednesday during the Area Plan Commission meeting.
The plant, located at the old Primex Building in Atwood, originally opened in 2006 to make biofuel out of wood scraps.
Nature's Fuel Web site states, "After amassing a great deal of knowledge about bio-material handling, fuel-crop management and solid fuel making, we decided to reinvent the plant.It now serves as both an R&D facility for cellulosic material processing (feedstock process testing ... occasional short, one-to-three day tests that are permitted by the Indiana Dept of Environmental Management), and as a cellulosic bio-fuel production facility."
That change in processes has angered residents because of a natural gas smell that reaches Silver Lake.
As previously reported in the Times-Union, since Nature's Fuel has opened residents have stated the smell and char from the plant has adversely affected their lives and health.
Betty Swanson, a resident of Atwood whose home is right behind Nature's Fuel, read the minutes from the Area Plan Commission meeting in 2006 where Nature's Fuel representation first appeared stating the plant would be a good neighbor and there would be no noise or smell issues.
Swanson read an e-mail from an Atwood resident stating, "Will we, our children or our grandchildren end up with cancer?"
Swanson also presented a petition against Nature's Fuel with more than 100 signatures on it.
Swanson and other Atwood residents cited several instances of friends and family becoming sick with symptoms ranging from headaches to sore throats to nausea.
Phillip Bryer, whose residence is also located near Nature's Fuel, fought back tears as he read a prepared statement.
"We've had to take our grandchildren out of our home because one has asthma," said Bryer. "Their family doctor told our daughter to keep them away from Nature's Fuel."
On April 19, residents said a fire that broke out at the plant caused such a bad natural gas smell that some residents were forced out of their homes.
Bryer and his wife had to stay at a hotel that night.
"We don't know if it's going to kill us," said one Atwood resident. "Is there a county facility we can stay at so we don't have to pay $80 a night when they run us out of our home?" said one Atwood resident.
Bryer also said that it costs his family and others in electric bills during the summer because they can't keep their windows open and instead have to use air conditioning.
"In the summer we have to pay higher electric bills so Nature's Fuel can make a profit," said Bryer. "This has gone on too long."
The natural gas smell has caused dozens of trips by NIPSCO crews to Atwood.
"I told two people I would not stay in their house because of the smell," said Atwood Fire Chief Mike Harmon.
Residents also continue to take issue with biochar that leaves the facility.
Resident Lisa Gillman brought in a mason jar filled with soot and water she said she collected after a snowfall. The snow became covered in biochar.
Gillman also took photos of the snow.
"This stuff isn't supposed to leave their facility," said Gillman.
The Indiana Department of Environmental Management has also been involved with the situation.
Residents claim that IDEM has told them it's the county's problem while the county has passed the issue back to IDEM.
"IDEM said you could shut them down tomorrow with the ordinance violations we've shown you," said Mike Jackson, who owns apartments just east of Nature's Fuel.
Board member Chuck Haffner, as well as Area Plan Director Dan Richard, said the county would have to take Nature's Fuel to court and prove violations before the plant could be shut down.
"It seems to me everyone's passing the buck," said Jackson.
County Commissioner Ron Truex has been working with IDEM to get resolution on the issue. Truex said the perception that the issue is being passed from agency to agency is incorrect.
"The county is not pointing the finger at IDEM and IDEM is not pointing the finger at the county," said Truex. "We're working closely together to resolve this."
"IDEM has their people in that plant on a weekly basis. IDEM is desperately trying to make it good for both Nature's Fuel and the residents of Atwood," said Truex.
"In the meantime we have to keep dealing with what they're doing," said Truex. "It's an unpleasant situation. I'm all for Nature's Fuel succeeding but not at the expense of the people around it."
Truex said he remains in contact with IDEM and Atwood residents daily and at all hours.
"I know Nature's Fuel is funded by investors," said Truex. "I believe the issue is when the process is successful the opportunity is to put facilities like these at a landfill."
Truex said that in that aspect it can't just be looked at on the county level.
"We have to look at what's best for the state, country and all of us," said Truex. "Recycling and making use of landfills is good for everyone."
Residents have stated that they were told that once Nature's Fuel perfects their process they will move it out of the county and to the landfill in Huntington County.
Truex also noted that enforcing smell ordinances was tricky because the amount of agriculture and industry in the county that doesn't contain their smell to their own facility is great.
Truex said IDEM conducted an investigation at Nature's Fuel April 29-30. In its report, IDEM said they believed Nature's Fuel violated no laws.
Atwood resident Carol Sparrow said it was frustrating that nothing could be done at Wednesday's meeting.
Sparrow, along with several other residents on hand, also said they were frustrated that during the nearly 2.5-hour meeting, four of the eight board members present left at different parts of the meeting.
Though no official action was taken by the plan commission, Haffner and County Commissioner Bob Conley promised they would remain in touch with the residents, relay all their concerns to Truex, who doesn't serve on the plan commission, and be in touch within a week.
Truex said Conley called him right after the meeting to relay all the information.
Had the plan commission wanted to act, however, they wouldn't have been able to. Without five members present, the board lacked a quorum to hold a vote.
The board serves as a recommending body to the county commissioners on most issues.
