Sonoma County plastics recycling venture falls under investigation by regulators amid expansion plans

Resynergi, the Sonoma County company seeking to open a first-of-its-kind plastics recycling operation, has come under investigation by local and state government regulators amid fresh questions over whether the firm was authorized to conduct business at three local sites over the past several years, The Press Democrat has learned.

Two of those sites, one of them now defunct, are in Rohnert Park, where the company is aiming to expand and develop its next-generation recycling operation. The third is at Resynergi’s test site in southwest Santa Rosa. The regulators allege the company didn’t have proper permits at all three locations.

Separately, North Coast water quality regulators and Sonoma County officials also are looking into Resynergi, agency representatives confirmed this week.

In addition to the regulatory scrutiny, an environmental group is threatening to sue over Resynergi’s expansion plan within Rohnert Park’s SOMO Village business and residential development, citing alleged failures under the federal Clean Air Act.

All of the above could present new obstacles for Resynergi in its now decade-long quest to come up with a better solution to the vexing global problem of plastic waste on sea and land. Its application to air quality regulators for the Rohnert Park expansion has generated mounting public opposition since a public comment period began in mid-July.

Company officials insist their recycling technology is safe, that they’ve been talking to government regulators for years, and that they’ve complied with all rules and regulations, pointing to plans and permits on file with Sonoma County.

“Resynergi continues to work closely with all relevant agencies to ensure that we are meeting permitting requirements at each of our facilities,” Resynergi CEO Brian Bauer said.

Permit issues, ‘stop work order’

But the Bay Area Air Quality Management District now contends the company didn’t have the proper authorization for development of microwave technology for plastic pyrolysis — or heat conversion without oxygen — at the three sites.

“When information came to our attention regarding Resynergi’s operations, we immediately launched an investigation,” air district spokesperson Kristine Roselius wrote in an email. “That investigation confirmed that the company had been operating equipment without the legally required permits, and we issued a notice of violation.”

Roselius added the recent complaints from everyday citizens “played a critical role in prompting a closer look at these facilities.”

In another regulatory action, county officials on Monday conducted a joint inspection of Resynergi’s Santa Rosa facility, triggered by complaints from a nearby resident, said Sonoma County Fire District Marshal Cyndi Foreman.

And on Wednesday, the city of Rohnert Park posted a “stop work order” on the gate to Resynergi’s current facility in SOMO Village, at 1200 Valley House Drive, citing improper installation of processing equipment, propane and pyrolysis oil tanks, and a thermal oxidizer designed to burn unusable gases to destroy 99.99% of toxins.

Responding to the order, Bauer said his company operated in compliance with city zoning laws.

“We are not aware of city permits required to install equipment or stock plastics, etc., while we were not operational,” he said in an email. “Resynergi is committed to working with the City and all agencies to ensure we are in full compliance.”

Resynergi’s novel approach to plastics recycling has sparked concerns. It uses microwave energy to break down certain types of plastic waste under oxygen-free conditions into gases that are condensed into pyrolysis oil. That substance can be made into fuel or more plastics. Gases that can’t be condensed are channeled to the thermal oxidizer.

Worries about that process prompted the Aug.13 intent-to-sue letter to Rysynergi from California Communities Against Toxics. The letter, obtained by The Press Democrat, claims the company’s technology raises the potential for fires and health effects should accidents involving the oil or gases occur.

The Bay Area Air Quality Management District enforces federal and state clean-air laws and rules in seven Bay Area counties, plus southern parts of Sonoma and Solano counties. It issues an authority-to-construct permit after its engineers review the design of any device or system that could impact air quality. If a permit is granted, another inspection determines compliance with standards. If met, a permit to operate is issued and renewed annually, subject to the company involved filing periodic performance reports to regulators.