Verbal crossfire took up a great portion of the Greenwood Township Supervisor meeting on August 2. The subject that saw the township building filled with citizens, once again, was the proposed tires-to-energy plant that might locate in the KOZ Industrial Park in Greenwood.

The plant was formerly called Erie Renewable Energy but had changed the name very recently to Crawford Renewable Energy.

The company would incinerate old tires turning them into a fuel, which would provide power to electric generators.

The process has been unfolding for quite some time now with residents, not only of Greenwood Township but, from some of the surrounding areas taking active roles at the meetings.

Right after the meeting began, Supervisor Diane Adsit, acting as chair in Supervisor Cecil Stevenson's absence, set some ground rules for the citizen participation segment.

Anyone wishing to speak had three minutes to do so and there were to be no repeat speakers. Also, the subject at hand was allotted 30 minutes total.

Adsit began by noting that supervisors had received a letter from an individual who requested a more detailed explanation about why a 1981 solid waste disposal ordinance did not apply in this case. During a previous meeting, the Greenwood Township Solicitor, William Walker, had indicated that the ordinance did not apply.

Adsit produced the answer in the form of a four page letter, which broke down the reasons why the ordinance was not applicable, according to Walker.

She did not read the letter aloud but made it available to a group of citizens in attendance from “CARE,” which stands for Crawford Area Residents for the Environment. Adsit said that extra copies could

be obtained, but she wasn't sure how much time the township secretary could devote to making them. The citizen thanked her and said that the information would be put on a website, so they wouldn't need a lot of physical copies.

Many from CARE offered statistics in terms of pollution, or contaminates, that might enter the atmosphere, water and the ground. Other issues were broached as well, with many citizens speaking up during the allotted thirty minute time frame.

Although what follows in this report does not contain all words spoken by each and every citizen, a fair cross section of concerns and ideas have been listed.

The first person to speak was a resident who said he lived right down the road from the township building. He stated that he was in favor of the plant because it would offer much needed jobs. He said that he had one concern and then asked if the local fire department would be equipped to handle a possible fire involving many tires.

Adsit said she didn't know that answer, but assured him that more information along those lines would be gathered as the process moved forward.

Another resident, from Atlantic Road, was next and asked if the supervisors should be contacting the V.F.D. in order to ask them if they were prepared for emergency scenarios, such as the abovementioned. “I think it would be very smart of us to take care of that as a preliminary thing—How they would train their people to do that or that type of thing,” she said.

She continued to talk about having an environmental impact study conducted and said she recalled the subject being broached at the last meeting. She then asked if she was remembering things correctly. Adsit answered that she wasn't certain who had said something about this.

Another person in attendance asked if she might interject, and mentioned a resolution that had been brought forward at that prior meeting. She said that it asked that Erie Renewable Energy (prior to name change) provide an impact statement.

Adsit replied by saying that there had been no action taken on that.

The banter continued with the resident simultaneously asking and telling supervisors that it was within their realm to request an impact statement and that the company had to give one.

Adsit said that she did not believe that was true.

The resident continued by saying that it would be a good idea to look into it as long as it didn't cost the residents any money to do so. She said that any business locating within the township should have to provide an environmental impact statement.

Adsit said that in terms of the fire department part of the question, many members of the department had attended the last meeting and were aware of the situation. She said that she didn't know what kind of specifics would be needed, because the process hadn't evolved to that point yet. “I do know that they are aware of this and have been participating,” she imparted.

The next person to speak was a gentleman who said he was a long time resident of Greenwood Township. He said that he was a member of CARE and was opposed to the plant. He continued by voicing that back in May, they had offered the supervisors some information about the plant and had handed out DVDs that showed the type of impact it could have.

He asked if Adsit had looked at her DVD and when she responded that she had not done so, he asked why. She said because she had other things to do, but she had looked over the other parts of the package and read some of the material.

He said that was “unacceptable” and then continued on with his argument by maintaining that at a prior meeting, it was brought to the attention of Supervisor Stevenson that there would not be enough tires in the tri-state area to support the plant.

The resident asserted that Stevenson replied by stating that he knew about the claim and found that there would only be enough tires to last for three years.

Adsit said she did not think that was what Stevenson had said, but the resident stuck to his guns claiming that indeed, he had said it. He told Adsit to check the tape of that particular meeting.

The resident continued to recall previous meetings and proclaimed that some of the components, for the factory, would be made in Japan.

To sum up his arguments, he took issue with the outsourcing of jobs and said that the local tool shops could handle the work instead. He also gave some statistics in terms of how long the tire plant might be up and running, due to the lack of tires in the tri-state area that would be needed. He continued by giving some pollution stats as well.

He added that the plant would lower the property values and insisted that a representative of said plant didn't seem to disagree. According to the resident, the representative stated at a previous meeting that they would “make up the difference,” which led the citizen to conclude that even the representative knew that the plant was, “not a good fit for Greenwood Township.”

Before he finished, he said that the supervisors were, “sitting on their hands,” and it was “disgusting.”

Another resident spoke about the sewage issues involved and claimed that the extra amount would not be able to be handled. He stated that the company would be adding many more gallons per month and wondered where it would go.

At this point, Supervisor Ron Wood said that they had split the line and it would bypass Autumn Wood Drive, the area in question.

The resident said, “We don't know what's going on with the sewage plant. We don't know what's going on with this tires-to-energy, but let's sit on our hands and wait...I think it's time to pass some kind of a resolution here and check and find out what kind of pollution is going to be put out, what kind of sewage is coming out, how many tires are going to be burnt...”

Other concerns were the traffic flow, the fire department's ability to handle an emergency, from where the tires would be transported, etc. The resident concluded by saying that it was time for the supervisors to look into the whole situation and provide the citizenry with answers.

After some other spoke and basically touched on all of the above mentioned complaints and concerns, the subject of a resolution was brought to light again.

What they were asking for was a resolution, which would state that the company could not begin construction until they provided an environmental impact statement.

One individual said that it was totally within their jurisdiction to do so and stated that Erie City Council passed a resolution when the plant was originally going to be located in that area.

Adsit said it was not true that the township had that kind of authority.

A citizen of the Meadville area asked why the township supervisors felt that they could not step in and do anything about it. She asked exactly what their role was, pertaining to this issue.

Up until that point in the meeting, supervisors hadn't been jumping in with in depth explanations, for the most part. They had interjected a sentence or two but had mainly allowed the citizens to be heard. Since Adsit was asked a direct question, she answered at some length.

She addressed the Meadville resident by saying that to her knowledge they didn't have the ability to require the plant to carry out a study. She said that they could be asked about it but the township did not have the authority to absolutely control many aspects of the proposed plant.

As she was saying this, some others in attendance were verbally agreeing with her.

She continued, “We have an agency—and just for a second, you couldn't imagine how horrific it would be if every township, in this Commonwealth, determined that they should be a mini DEP. There are agencies that deal with this stuff for a reason.”

Adsit continued by saying that it could be taken a theoretical step further and asked what if every township decided to enact its own immigration policy. Much murmuring followed that statement but she pressed on, adding that there is an agency in place that deals with these kinds of issues. She said that the State and DEP are in place for this reason.

The resident said that she was asking, as supervisors, why they couldn't pass an ordinance. She said that she thought they were not representing the citizens.

Adsit said she understood why the citizens were in attendance, and appreciated that they had come out, but pointed out again that the township did not have the ability to do the things being asked of it.

“We're not experts in this field. We all already pay experts to handle this stuff and what you're asking us to do is to spend township money, creating roadblocks that cost us money and, in the end, I don't think would have any effect.”

She said she also had to disagree with something that had been said earlier, which was that most residents were opposed to the plant.

Adsit said most folks with whom she had spoken, were for the plant. In a telephone interview after the meeting, she went as far as saying that she made sure to approach any resident she might see in the grocery store, or in any other public place, in order to get his or her take on it.

The Meadville resident pressed on by asking if a list might be made in terms of the issues brought up at the meeting like, firefighting preparedness, water, pollution and many of the mentioned concerns. She asked if, as a township, it was their responsibility to do so.

When Adsit answered in the negative, the woman said that she should then resign her position as a supervisor. Adsit said she was entitled to her opinion and then swiftly moved on to the next citizen.

The next resident said that it would not cost anything to pass a resolution asking for the study. Adsit said she was not going to get into a back and forth as to why she didn't agree with the whole resolution question. The resident said ordinances cost something but resolutions do not.

The citizen said that the township was not giving a reason for saying no and then asked if the board had any questions for the CARE group. Adsit said they didn't at that time.

The next resident, more or less, came to the defense of the supervisors when he said that the township really had nothing to do with the impact statement being requested. He said that is up to the State to regulate, and then said that the folks from CARE were, in essence, wasting the time of supervisors by coming forward. He said that they were asking the same questions “that you people, (supervisors), have nothing to do with...They should be talking to the DEP..,” he continued.

Adsit said that free speech was in play and then she imparted that public hearings would eventually be a part of the plan.

Another person asked how the township prevented Stable Ex (not sure of spelling) from coming in. Adsit said that she had not been there at the time, but then Wood told her that they had prevented the company from doing so via ordinance.

The resident took issue with that because some residents expressed that an ordinance should be passed preventing this one as well. Adsit again reminded those in attendance that the township could not make companies carry out impact statements.

He asked again how the other company had been prevented from locating in Greenwood and Adsit said, “I don't know that there was an issue regarding environment impact statements...” He then said that it was a waste product and so were the tires.

He then referred to Attorney Walkers' statement at a previous meeting concerning the 1981ordinance not pertaining to the proposed plant. Adsit reminded the resident about that four page explanation that was mentioned at the start of the meeting.

The resident pressed forward again by saying that tires are a waste product and then ended his portion by imparting that he knew supervisors would allow the plant due to the “bucks.”

Moving along, another person asked what would happen if a petition were circulated, and it ended up showing that a majority of the township residents were not in favor of the plant. He asked, in that case, what the position of supervisors would be.

Adsit said she still didn't think that it would change the fact that the area of regulation is a state wide jurisdiction. He then said that the board had an indifferent attitude.

Another question was whether or not DEP had been in touch with supervisors and/or vice versa. She also inquired about other township supervisors being in touch with Greenwood, as well as residents of the township.

Adsit said she had not heard from one other neighboring township supervisor.. She also said she had talked to someone at DEP who told her that once an air permit is filed, a meeting would ensue. Adsit said she would be attending that meeting.

Adsit stated that it was her understanding that they were hoping to have the public meeting before the end of the year in terms of the air permit.

In terms of the area residents, Adsit said again that the overwhelming majority of the ones with whom she had spoken, were for the plant.

As mentioned earlier, a phone interview was conducted after the meeting with Supervisor Adsit. Her bottom line of the whole scenario was that the township could not arbitrarily throw up roadblocks for private industry. She said that DEP are experts in the field and, by law, that is the agency that handles this sort of thing.

As for permits, it was her understanding that the only permits that the township would handle would be through the Middle Department Inspection Agency (MDIA), for building purposes. There are experts within MDIA and facilitators as well.

Again, she reiterated that the township supervisors are not authorities in this particular field.

In terms of some kind of schedule of events, it usually goes as follows, according to Adsit. Permits must be filed with DEP, the first of which is the air permit. DEP reviews for accuracy and for technical content, which can oft take months. A public hearing then unfolds, at which time comments from residents go on the official record. DEP then responds and finally, a determination is made.

Also, according to Adsit, the resolution that was presented to supervisors on behalf of CARE, contained more than just a request for an economic impact statement.

In closing, she stated that it is not the protocol for Greenwood to be a hindrance to the development of local businesses, and she preferred a “hands off” approach.