What's Wrong With this Picture?

What is wrong with this picture? Renewable Environmental Solutions LLC (RES) continues to experience upsets in their operation of the newly installed emission control equipment. RES has told Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) that they continue to look for new control technology to assist in elimination of the odor concerns. (1) Why isn't RES shut down until which time they 'find' new control technology. MDNR reports that multiple significant upsets in operation have been documented. (2) What is a 'significant upset'? (3) Doesn't that mean the RES facility has design flaws and still is emitting odors. (4) Doesn't that mean they are still operating after receiving four Notice (and Citations) of Excess Emissions?
DNR states that on June 1st, June 9th and June 10th they documented heavier than usual odors, but their staff was unable to meet the legal proof established by regulation to cite any facility for those emissions. (5) So what! You have already issued four Notice (and Citations) of Excess Emissions (NOEE) and RES is still in operation, has not been fined one cent, and say that they are 'looking' for a solution.
Obviously the Regulations need to be modified. Who wants to take the lead on writing legislation that facilitates a more responsive and realistic criteria for what stinks. The residents of Carthage and the surrounding area have learned how to smell and how to spell what stinks. It is spelled RES. MDNR has stated that their findings are documented and are relevant should any party pursue a nuisance suit on odors. [I think that they are hinting something, here.]
I don't know about you, but I'm sick and tired of RES continuing to operate in our face, in our nose and in our community, as long as they are not paying their $10,000 per violation per day fine. (6) Who do they think they are? Neighbors do not treat other neighbors this way. (7) What is wrong with our system, our regulations, our law enforcment and our prosecutors that continue to allow RES, the Violator, to 'look' for a technology. I say Shut Them Down until they find a technology that has been proven, elsewhere. Enough is enough!

More RES Measures Urged for Same Disgusting Smell!

Carthage City Attorney, David Mouton, said it all, "There have just been too many problems, too frequently, for us to say that all they need is additional time to fine-tune what they've already done. There may be bugs to work out, but we feel it's enough of a problem that they need to go further."

Maybe it's time to invoke the $10,000 per day per violation fine. I suspect that would get things moving in the right direction. What good is a fine if you don't collect it? What incentive to they have to move expidiciously?

The Joplin Globe, Friday, June 24, 2005 states that the City of Carthage has sent a letter to RES requesting the following:
1. Increase the height of the thermal-oxidizer stack to gain better dispersion.
2. Keep all outside containers that hold product or waste securely covered at all times.
3. Add a vapor capture system to trucks used to transport the oil produced.
4. Conduct a test to evaluate whether the addition of an ozone-generation unit would improve the performance of the thermal oxidizer.
5. Hire a third-party contractor, approved by DNR (Missouri Department of Natural Resources), to perform an odor survey of the Carthage area.

The article also quotes Carthage area resident, Tim Jeffries, "...we're still choking from the same disgusting smell". http://www.joplinglobe.com/story.php?story_id=193748&c=87

What exactly is Thermal Depolymerization?

Here is a link to a description of the Thermal Depolymerization process. It is called CWT Thermal Process (CWT-TP), named after Changing World Technologies, Inc (CWT), http://www.itcnet.org/Fire%20web%20site/B_Articles%20&%20Reports/Changing%20World%20Technologies%20-%20Thermal%20Process.pdf. Curiously, there is no mention in the paper of offensive, excess emissions from the process. It kind of makes you wonder if they forgot to tell us something, or their design is flawed. Either way, it stinks.

Who's Who List in Missouri! a/k/a Cases Filed by AG

This is the weblink to Missouri's Attorney General, Jay Nixon, listing the 2005 Cases his office filed, and then specifically the Court Order against Renewable Environmental Soilutions, LLC, dated May 6, 2005. http://www.ago.state.mo.us/lawsuits/2005/lawsuits.htm
http://www.ago.state.mo.us/lawsuits/2005/050605rescarthage.pdf This is definitely something RES should be proud of! A real Who's Who in Missouri.

There was $12.4 million earmarked for The Society for Environmental Research in the Consolidated Appropriations Act for Fiscal 2004. It was supposed to be used for the continued development of a technology that would help to eliminate agriculture waste and transform it into fuel oil (doesn't that sound familiar). It first appeared in HR2673. There was also $4.98 million earmarked by the EPA for the Carthage RES plant. I bet that the $17.38 million was our tax dollars. That even makes me sicker!

Who Does RES Think They Are?

It is sure curious to me who RES thinks they are? I know that I never gave them permission to declare Carthage a dumping zone. RES was caught last month accepting animal parts from Wichita, KS. Obviously I wasn't the only one caught off guard. Carthage City Attorney David Mouton said, "It certainly raises a lot of other issues if they are taking waste from other sites and other states." Carthage Mayor Kennth Johnson said, "It seems to me they shouldn't be starting something new until they get the current situation fixed." Mayor Johnson said that City Officials were unaware that materials other than turkey byproducts from nearby Butterball Turkey Co. were being taken to the plant, until a spill of animal parts last Thursday (5/19) at Central Avenue and Baker Boulevard. City Atty. Mouton said that he is seeking an explination about a spill of animal parts that were being transported from Wichita, KS to the plant. The Joplin Globe, Thursday, May 26, 2005, http://www.joplinglobe.com/archives/story.php?story_id=99874

Previous MDNR Notices

Here are links to the Missouri Depatment of Natural Resources (MDNR) previous three News Releases regarding Notices of Excess Emissions to RES. News Release No. 121, dated April 27, 2005, http://www.dnr.state.mo.us/newsrel/nr05_121.htm, News Release No. 106, dated April 15, 2005, http://www.dnr.state.mo.us/newsrel/nr05_106.htm, News Release No. 080, dated April 1, 2005, http://www.dnr.state.mo.us/newsrel/nr05_080.htm .
HELLO? What happened to the $10,000 per day per violation fines? First, we were waiting for MDNR to substantiate an excess emission. Then we had to wait for RES's response to the Notice of Excess Emission before calling it a 'violation'. What are we waiting for now?
They stink. They had a chance to fix it. They couldn't or didn't. How many chances do they get? What happened to Strike 1, Strike 2, Strike 3, you're out!

Citation #4

The headline says it all, "Reek and Rereek: RES Cited Again". Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) issued Citation #4 against Renewable Environmental Solutions LLC (RES) for excess emissions on Wednesday, June 8, 2005. Obviously, the thermal oxidizer installed May 19 and the upgraded scrubber system installed on May 22 are either, not installed correctly, or have insufficient capacity for what RES is putting through them. According to The Joplin Globe, Friday, June 10, 2005, '"there were some discussions Wednesday about additional steps that might be taken at the plant, including RES hiring a consultant who would provide an assessment and a written plan for further odor-control measures". Wow, that sounds like a good idea. RES obviously is short of ideas. How about shutting the plant down until they get a plan? RES had the opportunity to do it 'their way'. It didn't work, again! Enough is enough.

City of Carthage Attorney, David Mounton is quoted as saying, "...they (RES) are grappling with some serious problems." We already know what their problem smells like, but it makes me wonder what other problems we don't know about? I can't believe that after a year of this 'grappling' that they are still allowed to stink up our community. If we gave RES the 'Key to the City' when they arrived, why can't we ask for it back? http://www.joplinglobe.com/story.php?story_id=191594&c=87

Disruption to Community is Unacceptable!

US Congressman Roy Blunt visited Carthage Tuesday, May 31, 2005 to smell for himself any improvements from the odors generated by RES. Various comments attributed to Rep. Blunt included:

...the technology "makes sense only if it makes sense for everyone. It has to work, we all understand that."

...that a "disruption to the community is not acceptable."

...there is a "preponderance sense in the community that it's not working."

...that with "significant content" he didn't think that the plant could continue to operate. The Carthage Press, Wednesday, June 1, 2005.

...that it "must be done in a way that improves quality of life. If it doesn't, it's going to have to stop". The Joplin Globe, Wednesday, June 1, 2005.

Tricia Orr asked Rep. Blunt, "Who decides when it's been long enough?" Well, the City of Carthage will be waiting for the answer to that question.