Waste-to-ethanol plant will aid county

After the recent series of Times of Northwest Indiana articles about the proposed waste-to-ethanol facility, we feel compelled to ensure that information about the project is being accurately portrayed to the public and to dispel any misunderstanding.

We agree with the Times on at least one aspect of its recent reporting, and that is that waste disposal has been an issue in Lake County for many years. And after conducting numerous planning and strategy sessions and countless public meetings to discuss solutions, we believe this state-of-the-art facility is the answer.

The benefits to this project are numerous -- a view shared by groups likely to be most affected, including Lake County municipalities we represent, a majority of property owners near the proposed Schneider facility and the local union workforce.

It's estimated that the project will create 350 jobs during construction and, once operational, could create between 135 and 360 full-time jobs. In addition, from a solid waste management standpoint, we will reduce by 80 to 90 percent the amount of waste going to landfills.

Critics of the proposed facility have used innuendo and factual misstatements when discussing the project. They either take issue with the process we followed or say the entire idea deserves more investigation.

First, we were quite diligent in making sure the process to select Powers Energy One of Indiana was fair and open to public scrutiny over the last three years. It began with a 2003 meeting to discuss a comprehensive and long-range approach to solid waste issues, attended by numerous representatives from the national solid waste industry.

The recommendation from that group was that we should seek a unified commitment from all the municipalities of Lake County regarding their solid waste disposal, in order to achieve the best price. As a result of the recommendation by the solid waste industry, the district began and has continued that process.

We initiated a thorough process to find a company that could accommodate the needs of of all the municipalities affected in Lake County. Several factors led us to select Powers Energy One, including the lowest proposed price, a viable technology and process, a well-established pilot plant and Powers' responsibility for the cost of disposal of any waste received that could not be processed.

Some have questioned what cost this project will bring to taxpayers. Contrary to the Times' reporting, construction of this facility is privately funded and insured.

An independent reviewer sought out by the Times even concluded that our agreement with Power was "well-drafted" and that the district has done "everything to protect themselves through contractual means."

As for the broader issue of whether this is a good solution to pursue, we have spent many months seeking solutions to the less appealing alternatives. The operation of the facility involves proven technology, employing a gasification system and a biological conversion, all of which must comply with all federal and state permit requirements.

There is no adverse environmental impact that will result from the operation of the facility. In fact, the operation of the facility will result in the reduction of greenhouse gases, compared to those gases currently being generated at landfills.

We now have spent more than two and a half years evaluating this project. We believe it is time to move forward and solve a problem that has plagued Lake County residents for many years.

Gerry Scheub is a Lake County commissioner and chairman of the Lake County Solid Waste Management District. Jeffrey Langbehn is the executive director of the district.

source: post-trib