BY DAN HINKEL, Times of Northwest Indiana
dhinkel@nwitimes.com
Most members of the county solid waste authority voted Thursday night to advance one plan for a trash-to-fuel plant, but at least one environmentalist believes picking that plan alone would be "really stupid."
The Lake County Solid Waste Management District Board voted 16-5 to approve a preliminary agreement with Powers Energy One, one of two groups vying to build an $80 million plant to turn garbage into ethanol. The agreement with Powers -- formerly Genahol-Powers 1 LLC -- would not stop the county from contracting with another company if the county had needs beyond Powers' capacity, board attorney Cliff Duggan said.
District staffers have been talking with Agresti Biofuels, which formerly was called Indiana Ethanol Power LLC.
New Chicago's board member, Roger Pelfrey, promotes the Powers plan aggressively.
"We stand on the threshold of something great, and if we don't grab it, someone else will," Pelfrey said.
Crown Point Mayor Dave Uran, a board member, voted against the agreement. He worries the agreement could exclude other companies. The Powers plan isn't sure to work, Uran said.
"What if this fails?" Uran asked.
Environmentalists don't like Powers "gasification" plan, which would use heat to combust waste into gas. Members of the Northwest Interfaith Federation, Duneland Sierra Club, the Calumet Project and Revitalization First Collaborative see the Agresti plan -- which would grind and pressure-cook trash into a watery substance -- as more environmentally friendly. Sandy O'Brien, of the environmental collaborative, questioned why the board would pick only the Powers plan.
"It would be really stupid," O'Brien said.
Duggan said the Powers plan satisfied technical, financial and contractual concerns that other companies haven't met.
The plan still faces a public hearing, potential changes and final approval.
O'Brien questioned the board's commitment to the environment. She referenced Thursday night's prolonged discussion of district staff members' county owned cars.
"The take-home cars issue seems to be a lot more important to the board than poisoning the county," she said.
Lake County Solid Waste Management District Board members also haggled over the previously confiscated county-owned cars driven by staff members. After a long argument and many motions, district Executive Director Jeff Langbehn said he would restore county cars to several staff members pending an upcoming meeting at which board members can vote to either restore the cars or substitute a transportation allowance.