BLUE RIDGE ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE LEAGUE
PO Box 88 ~ Glendale Springs, North Carolina 28629 ~ Phone (336) 982-2691 ~ Fax (336) 982-2954 ~ Email: BREDL@skybest.com

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 02, 2008

CONTACT:
David Mickey, 336-769-0955
cell 336-624-2412
davidmickey@bellsouth.net

Deborah Kornegay, 919-738-1325

Citizens Take Legal Action To Stop Fibrowatt Poultry Manure Incinerator

(Clinton, NC) On Tuesday Citizens for a Safe Environment took legal steps in Sampson County to reverse the commissioners’ decision to re-zone land near Faison. That decision allowed a poultry manure incinerator project to move forward. Fibrowatt proposes to build a plant on the site that would burn poultry manure. The complaint cites negative impacts to the neighboring African-American community, air and water pollution, and detrimental impacts to nearby organic farmers and the area’s farm economy. The Superior Court filing charges that the re-zoning is improper and invalid.

The proposed incinerator would be located on I-40 in Sampson County near the Town of Faison in neighboring Duplin County. A portion of the land in question is in Faison’s extraterritorial jurisdiction. Faison has been in negotiation with Fibrowatt about use of the property, but has not reached any decisions about re-zoning. Sampson County has previously requested that Faison relinquish its zoning authority.

Citizens for a Safe Environment Co-chair Deborah Kornegay expressed concerns about the plant’s pollution. "I am concerned that the air pollutants emitted from this proposed facility would adversely affect citizens' health--especially those with pre-existing respiratory problems."

In July the North Carolina Division of Air Quality compared various combustion sources, such as poultry litter, with new coal plants and found that Fibrowatt would produce more nitrogen oxide, particulate matter (soot), carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide than a similar coal-fired plant. Ozone from nitrogen oxide is a major contributor to asthma.

In addition to the toxic emissions from the incinerator, the group cites problems with odors, increased truck traffic, decreased property values, loss of use of their property and reduced quality of life.

Laura Thornton, who lives with her family on a farm adjoining the Fibrowatt property, voiced her disappointment in the commissioners’ actions. “Now the burden of protecting our children rests with the citizens. This plant would degrade our quality of life in this community. We depended on the commissioners to protect our health and safety. I know Sampson County can do better than a poultry manure incinerator and a smokestack.”

Citizens for a Safe Environment (CSE) organized in 2000 as a chapter of the Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League, a regional, community-based non-profit based in Glendale Springs, NC. CSE successfully prevented a regional landfill from locating in Duplin County and also opposed a garbage gasification/incineration project.

Speaking on behalf of the League, David Mickey urged the commissioners to reconsider their zoning decision. “It is obvious that the Sampson Commissioners have listened to Fibrowatt and their lobbyists and ignored the legitimate concerns of Sampson County constituents and their neighbors in Faison. Now is the time for them to re-examine all of the impacts to the people around Juniper Road, downwind in Faison and Duplin County and to the regional farm economy. It is not too late.”

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More details:
BREDL Fibrowatt webpage