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ZBA again postpones decision on conditional use permit for waste to energy plant

The Mason City Zoning Board of Adjustment again postponed a decision on granting a conditional use permit to Creative Energy Systems.

Click here to view photos from the meeting.

The board postponed the decision in order to gather more information. The board will meet on December 20th and seek input from the Cerro Gordo County Health Department on the possible affects, if any, that the plant’s emissions could have on people. Pam Myrhe, the City’s Growth And Development Director, said that virtually no one had talked with the county health department about the issue. The board hopes to get input from that department at their December 20th meeting. There was no immediate word from any Cerro Gordo Department of Public Health officials as to whether they would attend that meeting or even offer an opinion to the board.

CES has said previously that their plant would “have no emissions.” They later said there would be emissions. No one can be sure what kind of, if any, emissions would come from the plant, since it is a prototype and there is not one exactly like it running anywhere in the world.

After over three hours of discussion, the board seemed to have a sticking point on one of the basic requirements that is needed to be met in order to grant a conditional use permit.

Point number one in the zoning board’s application which spells out how a conditional use permit is granted, states “the establishment, maintenance or operation of the conditional use will not be detrimental to or endanger the public health, safety, morals, convenience, comfort or general welfare.”

(PHOTO: Rod Flores and Joe Yavorski of CES confer with their legal team, Jacqueline Aurthur and Gerald Stambaugh, after their conditional use permit decision was postponed.)

As the CES plant would be built only about 1.5 miles from two schools, the board seemed to hesitate in being sure that the plant would not violate this clause. One board member said “item one, in particular, I just don’t feel like it has been sold.”

Rather than vote the project up or down, the board unanimously agreed to postpone.

One man spoke in favor of the project, Phillip Sanchez of Mason City, saying that “tires had been burned in Mason City before, and I also think we should move forward on this. Don’t abate it today.”

James Sprangers, an attorney from Woodbury, Minnesota, who represents a company who recently bought land adjacent to the Golden Grain plant, also spoke. He said that CES has only provided “about 1%” of the necessary information to the board to make an informed decision. He also said that the CES plant would definitely emit “dioxins” into the air. He also pointed out “inconsistencies” in the information CES has provided. (See video.)

Several citizens again spoke out against the project, saying the technology is untested and the amount and type of emissions from the plant are not known, therefore the board could not in good conscience grant the conditional use permit.

The board will be able to vote on the measure at their December 20th meeting.

Watch video:


 

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