RES gets CITATION #6, July 27, 2005

RES gets Citation #6 on Wednesday, July 27, 2005, Notice of Excessive Emissions. The violation was verified, independently, by two Department of Natural Resource (MDNR) staff. Renewable Environmental Solutions LLC (RES) spokesperson, Julie Gross-Gelfand, Vice President and Director of Public Relations for HLD/Blankman said "We do not believe the latest notice of excessive emissions is accurately attributed to our plant". Doesn't this sound familiar, 'Who stinks, not me?'.

Bruce Martin, Regional Director of MDNR-Springfield, announced last week that they planned to open a field office in Carthage to facilitate quicker responses to odor emission complaints, effective July 25, 2005. I appreciate the comittment by MDNR, but I would feel better if it wasn't the Carthage area residents paying for it. This is exactly what the fines and penalties that could be assessed against RES, at the rate of $10,000 per violation per day, should be used for.

If you smell the odor coming from RES, call Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) 417-891-4300, or call Carthage City Attorney Mr. Mounton's office, 417-358-1972, and he will set up a conference call with MDNR. You can also file a report electronically at www.dnr.state.mo.us/concern.htm (or you can click on the MDNR Complaint Form link listed under 'Links' to the right).

More Recent Headlines

RES Cited for Wednesday's Odors, Thursday, July 28, 2005, The Carthage Press, http://www.carthagepress.com/articles/2005/07/28/news/news1.txt

State Cites Company for Sixth Time, Thursday, July 28, 2005, The Joplin Globe, http://www.joplinglobe.com/archives/story.php?story_id=106488

DNR to Open Field Office in Carthage, Thursday, July 21, 2005, The Carthage Press, http://www.carthagepress.com/articles/2005/07/21/news/news1.txt

DNR to Open Carthage Office, Local Staff to Monitor Complaints of Odor, Thursday, July 21, 2005, The Joplin Globe, http://www.joplinglobe.com/archives/story.php?story_id=105789

It Smelled Yesterday and It Smelled Today CITATION #5

Renewable Environmental Solutions LLC (RES) received their 5th Citation for Notice of Excessive Emissions (NOEE) on Friday, July 15, 2005. The Joplin Globe (Saturday, July 16, 2005) reported that Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) received forty-five (45) odor complaints on Thursday. I smelled RES on Friday morning, too, as I drove west on Central Ave. from Garrison Ave. at 7:15 am.

RES blamed the odor on the distillaton process Tuesday, a valve malfunction on Thursday and lab work on Friday. Excuses, excuses! MDNR says that continuing efforts are the reason state officials so far, have not recommended that the odor violations translate to financial penalties, according to Steve Feeler, Chief Enforcement in the state's air-polution control program. At this point RES could face fines up to $10,000 per day.

"Fines are decided by the director's office, but we haven't sought them because they (RES) have continued to implement new odor-control efforts. That could change if they stop cooperating or if the number of voiolations reaches the point where we feel there is no other recourse." http://www.joplinglobe.com/story.php?story_id=196755&PHPSESSID=8a4239f475caf47601c1c77a7768d6ff

THANK YOU to the forty-five (45) Carthage area residents that called MDNR. Please keep the MDNR telephone number handy, 417-891-4300, or their website link, www.dnr.state.mo.us/concern.htm (or you can click on the MDNR Complaint Form link listed under 'Links' to the right).

Don't Forget to Report the Stink!

Carthage City Attorney, David Mounton, reminded Carthage citizens to register complaints with the state when they smell odors coming from RES. He warned that "There are many people thinking that someone else will make the call on the smell they smell."
If you smell the odor coming from RES, call Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) 417-891-4300, or call Mr. Mounton's office, 417-358-1972, and he will set up a conference call with MDNR. You can also file a report electronically at www.dnr.state.mo.us/concern.htm (or you can click on the MDNR Complaint Form link listed under 'Links' to the right).

Mr. Mounton said, "I believes that they (RES) are working in good faith, but I also believe they are far, far from where they need to be." He added that in the wake of odor problems Tuesday "and a smell last Friday, that no one should have to endure".

"Each time a complaint is made, a number is assigned", he said. "That's the mechanism they(MDNR) use to determine the problem and hold RES accountable. I hope that we never have to shut them down, but if we do, we'll need evidence". The Joplin Globe, Wednesday, July 13, 2005 and The Carthage Press, Wednesday, July 13, 2005 http://www.carthagepress.com/articles/2005/07/13/news/news5.txt