By MARK WILSON, Evansville Courier & Press staff writer
MOUNT VERNON, Ind. - Pollution from a proposed ethanol plant to be located in Posey County would be innocuous, a state environmental official said Thursday.
However, several people at a public meeting about the plant's proposed air pollution permit questioned its impact on air quality in the surrounding region.
Abengoa Bioenergy is proposing to build the facility on farm ground in southeast Posey County just two miles from Evansville. It is the same sight near the corner of Darnell School and West Franklin roads that previously has been considered for industrial projects, including ConAgra. Ownership of the sight is a mix of private farmland zoned for agriculture use and Vectren-owned ground that is already zoned for industry.
Indiana Department of Environmental Management officials led a question and answer session about the ethanol plant's proposed air pollution permit at the Alexandrian Public Library on Thursday evening. At least two dozen people attended, including concerned citizens, local officials and farmers supporting the project.
Among those expressing concern were Dona Bergman, director of the Evansville Environmental Protection Agency, who read a letter from Evansville Mayor Jonathan Weinzapfel addressed to IDEM Commissioner Thomas Easterly.
"Protecting air quality is enlightened self-interest," Weinzapfel wrote. "Most major developments will not locate in a non-attainment area, as is evidenced by the number of facilities planned nearby but outside Vanderburgh and Warrick counties."
While Posey County meets all federal state air quality standards, Vanderburgh and Warrick counties do not meet the standard for fine particulate matter pollution from microscopic, health-threatening soot and dust. Vanderburgh County was only recently said to comply with federal standards for ozone pollution, which is formed in the air when other pollution combines.
The mayor's letter noted that Vanderburgh County could easily slip back into non-attainment for ozone as the EPA is considering lowering the standard for it even further.
The letter notes that the combination of pollution from numerous industries and power plants proposed to be built within a 70-mile radius of Evansville could have a significant impact on air quality and that the proposed ethanol plant, when combined with two other proposed ethanol plants in Posey County, will emit more than 300 tons of nitrogen oxide and other chemicals that can cause ozone and particulate pollution.
He urged IDEM to consider requiring air quality monitoring before and after the ethanol plant is built to determine its impact and to consider the regional nature of the problem. Weinzapfel has also sent a letter to Abengoa urging it to consider some specific ways it can reduce energy consumption and air pollution on the project.
IDEM encourages regional cooperation, said Matt Stuckey, section chief for air pollution permits, but because the ethanol plant will not emit enough pollution to be considered a "major source," the agency cannot legally require the monitoring or consider its impact on other counties.
The proposed plant will emit less than 100 tons each of all the regulated pollutants considered in air permits.
Farmer Alvin Nurrenbern supported the project.
"We need new ways to get better prices for our grain," he said.
The Posey County Area Planning Commission will consider a request to rezone 51 acres of land from agriculture to industrial for the project during its Jan. 11 meeting.
A representative of Abengoa Bioenergy, based in St. Louis, has been unavailable to answer questions about the project.