Possible biomass plant leaves Crawford County in conflict

The ongoing battle over whether to site the first biomass incinerator plant in Indiana doesn’t seem like it will end anytime soon.

Liberty Green Renewables, LLC, an Indiana-based company, made a proposal in January 2009 to build a 28-megawatt facility in Crawford, Ind., a rural community 64 miles south of Bloomington and a popular destination for canoe enthusiasts.

However, partly because of hometown opposition, Liberty Green has yet to break ground.

The two sides voiced their thoughts and concerns last week during a county commissioners’ meeting meant to set guidelines for an industrial license to operate within Crawford County.

However, no specific guidelines were agreed upon, and the next step in this process will be a public meeting June 29.

“The county commissioners have a big job in front of them,” said Larry Ott, a partner with Liberty Green who was in attendance at last week’s meeting. “Essentially, they have to make a law that will protect their citizens but also bring in business.”
Liberty Green spokespeople have claimed the biomass plant will stimulate the local economy and create jobs. Terrance Naulty, a partner with Liberty Green, said an average of 100 skilled construction workers would be hired, with the peak construction period creating 175 jobs.

If the plant becomes operational, 25 full-time positions would be available on-site, along with an additional 30 indirect jobs. These indirect positions would focus on collection and transportation of the woody biomass fuel burned at the incinerator plant, Naulty said.

However, opponents of the plan worry that local residents won’t be adequately qualified for some, if not all, of the positions made available if the plant opens.
Naulty said although he feels there are many skilled craftsmen living in Crawford County, he couldn’t specify how many jobs will go to local residents if the plant does eventually open.

“Liberty Green can’t at this time provide a definitive breakdown of where the employees will live and how many will commute from surrounding communities,” Naulty said. “However, it is likely that there will be qualified Crawford County residents for almost all positions. Liberty Green will hire the most qualified applicants.”  

Gordon Smith is the owner of Cave Country Canoes on Main Street, in the hub of Milltown. Smith said that on the busiest days of the summer, as many as 550 canoes will be rented out to navigate the Blue River, mostly by people visiting from neighboring counties and states.

With Cave Country Canoes representing a major draw for tourists, Smith said the biomass plant might have an adverse effect on his business.

“It’s the only draw for tourism here in Milltown,” Smith said. “It’s hard to say what effect the biomass plant would have, but it certainly would not be helpful to tourism, and tourism is the main business of the county.”

Concerned Citizens of Crawford County, a grassroots group opposed to the plant, formed shortly after Liberty Green proposed the facility. Concerned Citizens co-chair Cara Beth Jones said that since the proposal was made, this possibly life-changing event has been the sole focus of the group.

Since its formation, the group has collected more than 2,200 signatures for a petition against the proposed incinerator plant, which is more than double the population of Milltown, Jones said. The additional signatures come from residents in bordering counties, who might also be affected by the plant.

Residents Rodney and Linda Jenkins are active members of Concerned Citizens and live less than a mile away from the proposed plant site.

“Rodney and I have been on the phone many times and been awake at four in the morning,” Jones said. “A lot of us still work, and we go to the meetings anyway. It’s pretty much been very consuming and very stressful.”

Liberty Green has met with Milltown residents on several occasions and has also created a website, http://libertygreenrenewables.com, where people can learn more about the project, Naulty said.

Liberty Green has been working with the Indiana Department of Environmental Management to gain the necessary air and water permits from the state. IDEM spokesman Rob Elstro said the timeline for each application process is different, with some permits being processed in a few weeks and others taking more than a year.

Liberty Green originally planned to obtain a state air permit earlier this year, but the company has yet to receive permits of any type from the state.

This is partly because of Milltown’s reaction and also the complex nature of the facility being proposed, which is the first of its kind in Indiana.

“We look to make sure that the permit is applicable for the facility, and we look at the permit process until it is complete,” Elstro said. “We wait until we have all of the data that is necessary and that the permit is protective of health, human and environment.”

Throughout this process, Elstro said IDEM has been working with Liberty Green to craft a permit that will allow the facility to run while at the same time abiding by state and federal regulations.

Liberty Green may begin construction if it obtains all of the appropriate state and federal permits for air and water quality from IDEM, though it’s clear Jones isn’t willing to concede anything.

“I feel that maybe this is my own little battle, and I have as much right, I believe, to be here and enjoy this environment as Liberty Green has,” Jones said.  

IDS reporter Becki Schildhouse contributed to this article.