Jefferson City: What Really Happened?

What really happened?
1. Renewable Environmental Solutions, LLC (RES) met its deadline (Thursday, Janurauy 5, 2006) for submitting an odor plan to the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MDNR), per the mandate of the Cease and Desist Order, ordered by Gov. Matt Blunt.

2. In the Cease and Desist Order, MDNR stated that it had previously "exhausted all avenues of conference, conciliation and persuasion in an effort to assist RES in resolving this issue".

3. MDNR stated that RES never complied with special condition 5 in Permit 082002-001, which requires all solid and liquid materials awaiting process to be stored under roof in a storage area.

4. Friday morning (January 7, 2006) RES met with officials from MDNR in Jefferson City, to discuss RES's response to Cease and Decist Order, requested by Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt; their violations of state air quality laws; and the 60-day suspension of their Air Discharge Permit.

5. Friday afternoon, RES met with officials from the City of Carthage and Missouri Attorney's General office, in Jefferson City, to discuss the Public Nuisance lawsuit previously filed.

6. RES reported that they have recently spent $150,000 in odor control efforts for a new ozone generator, $175,000 for a building to enclose the loading area, and $175,000 for a building to enclose a staging area.

7. RES said that their odor control equipment had been in operation 'only a few hours' before Gov. Blunt ordered the plant shut down.

8. The Joplin Globe, Saturday January 7, 2006, reported the following: 'Those talks got a little contentious at times, said Carthage Mayor Kenneth Johnson. It may work out: hopefully it will.' Connie Patterson, spokesman for MDNR said, 'It's our understanding that they are abiding by the permit suspension and they don't intend to operate.' Carthage City Attorney David Mouton said that Brian Appel, RES, 'attended the meeting to ask for more time to see if they can get the odor problems worked out. The City would be open to giving them additional time, but our patience is not unlimited. they have to operate without stinking, from the City's perspective.' http://www.joplinglobe.com/story.php?story_id=219096&c=87

9. MDNR, at some point in the next few days will announce what the results of the meeting were, according to Connie Patterson, MDNR's Public Information Officer. She said that MDNR could ask for further information or follow-ups, re-open the plant before the 60-day period is up or seek measures to close it down. http://www.carthagepress.com/articles/2006/01/06/news/news3.txt