Renergy ordered to close waste treatment facility in Greene County - Dayton Daily News
Renergy ordered to close waste treatment facility in Greene County
An organic waste treatment facility in Greene County was ordered to permanently close following multiple complaints about odors and environmental violations.
Renergy agreed to shut down the digester facility, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced Wednesday.
“Renergy’s shutdown will eliminate both the environmental problems in this case and the olfactory nuisance that the site has become,” he said. “I am asking the court to approve our proposed order so Renergy can move swiftly and properly with a safe cleanup.”
RELATED: Ohio EPA seeks legal action against Dovetail, Renergy over biodigester pollution
The state also requested a final judgement in Greene County Common Pleas Court, asking the court to require Renergy to:
- Stop accepting feedstock and waste by Oct. 1
- Empty the digestate storage tank by Dec. 15
- Empty and clean the digester and other equipment by Jan. 15
- Submit documentation of the emptying and cleaning by Jan. 30
- Request termination of permits and certify that the facility is permanently shut down by Jan. 31
The filing also seeks an additional $25,000 fee in penalties, bringing the total penalty to $100,000.
The Greene County facility is one of two Renergy digesters in the state. The second facility is in Morrow County. The digesters use bacteria to break down manure and other organic materials, eventually turning them into methane which is sold for electricity production, according to Yost’s office.
The state previously sued Renergy on behalf of the Ohio EPA for air and water pollution violations at both digester sites.
Yost said the air pollution violations were addressed, but water pollution violations have continued, along with complaints about the odor.
1At least one dead at Butler Twp motorcycle crash 2Ohio redistricting commission maps disputed along party lines again 3 State Board of Education members sue state over moving duties to... 4The Longest Table: Community shares food, conversation at Sinclair 5 Dayton Public school board chooses to go with search firm to find...
About the Author
Related Knowledge Center: Methane
As the production of natural gas from shale fields has expanded, so have methane emissions. U.S. methane emissions grew 27 percent from 1990 to 2009, according to the Energy Information Administration. Methane contributes about 10 percent of all U.S. greenhouse gas emissions and is 25 times more potent a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide.