City could change ethanol plant’s permit
Photo
United Ethanol plant in Milton
MILTON — The Milton City Council could test out its new conditional-use permit ordinance on the company that inspired its creation.
A formal complaint from a council member and a report from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources have set in motion a process to reexamine United Ethanol’s conditional-use permit. The city plan commission will hold a public hearing on the issue Monday, Sept. 21.
The complaint and DNR report stem from two incidents when neighbors said the plant smelled. In the second incident, a DNR official said the smell caused an instant headache and queasy stomach, but the plant said the smell was caused by an isolated incident.
The city council passed an ordinance in May allowing it to alter or revoke a conditional-use permit if the holder is found to be violating the permit. Council members asked for the ordinance after learning they had no power to revoke United Ethanol’s permit.
The plant’s DNR permit says it must avoid objectionable odors, and the conditional-use permit says it must meet all DNR requirements.
City Attorney Mark Schroeder said the ordinance applies to all conditional-use permits, even if they were issued before the ordinance went into effect.
Council member David Adams filed a written complaint about the plant after a visit to a plant neighbor June 19. A neighbor, Gina Frank, called him that day about the smell, and he agreed it was offensive, he wrote in an e-mail to City Administrator Todd Schmidt.
“I consider this just another in a long list of incidents concerning offensive odors coming from the United Ethanol facility,” Adams wrote. “This issue has continued long enough, and these people (plant neighbors) deserve better from us.”
Brian Barbieur, local DNR air management engineer, was unavailable that day to evaluate the odor, Adams said.
On Aug. 24, Barbieur and Adams responded to a call from Frank and found a strong odor, according to Barbieur’s report.
“Shortly after 3, we just got hit with a wave that was just … it was terrible,” Adams said.
Barbieur wrote that the smell gave him a headache and queasy stomach late in the afternoon. He described waves of sweet, sour and burnt odors.
The incident resulted from a problem in the plant’s grain dryer, said Dori Lichty, United Ethanol spokeswoman. The plant addressed the problem that afternoon, she said.
“It was a fluke incident that resulted from something breaking down,” she said.
But Mayor Tom Chesmore said he’s tired of the plant’s excuses.
“It’s always a ‘one-time event,’” he said. “Eventually, it gets old. They need to deal with the problems that are out there.”
Lichty said the plant has dealt with past problems and is running as it should besides the Aug. 24 incident. She pointed out the plant spent $2 million on a new regenerative thermal oxidizer last year to control emissions.
“United Ethanol takes every complaint seriously,” she said. “We take extra steps to make sure our equipment is working properly. We work with the proper authorities to make sure we are in compliance.”
Plant blames ‘bake-out’ for strong odor Aug. 24
Gina Frank, a neighbor of United Ethanol, said she often smells the plant when the wind is blowing her way.
But she’d never smelled an odor like what came from it Aug. 24, she said.
“It’s not the normal smell when it’s stinky,” she said. “It was a real strong, burnt smell.”
Brian Barbieur, air management engineer with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, described the smell as waves of sweet, sour and burnt odors. On a scale of 1 to 10, he gave it an 8 for intensity and said it gave him a headache and queasy stomach.
Plant spokeswoman Dori Lichty said the smell came after a rotary valve tripped in the grain dryer. When workers restarted the dryer, another piece of equipment became plugged causing grain to go into the regenerative thermal oxidizer that controls emissions. The plant had no choice but to “bake out” the trapped grain, causing the smell, she said.
“It’s just like self-cleaning your oven,” she said. “There’s no way you can avoid it.”
The plant conducts bake-outs every six to eight weeks to make sure the oxidizer is working properly, but this was the first time it had to do so as the result of grain getting into the dryer, she said.
This is the second time Barbieur has declared odor at the plant objectionable. The first time was May 18. In that case, he ranked the smell a 6 out of 10.
Those two cases will be part of a package the DNR is preparing for possible referral to the Wisconsin Department of Justice, said Eileen Pierce, regional air and waste leader. The DNR’s enforcement action against the plant started after a June 2008 report found the plant in violation of 170 terms of its permit.
DNR Secretary Matt Frank will make the final decision about whether to refer the plant to the Department of Justice, she said.
IF YOU GO
What: Milton Plan Commission public hearing to discuss United Ethanol’s conditional-use permit
When: 5:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 21.
Where: Milton City Hall, 430 E. High St.
Sep 21, 2009 at 8:58 a.m.
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boosmaker sounds like you work for the ethanol plant. If you think that the smell that comes off the ehtanol plant smells like a bakery I don't want to eat the bread you like. I have been exposed to the fumes coming from the ehtanol plant and it did not smell like a bakery to me. Since when does baking bread make your eyes water and your throat burn? Google ethanol emissions and see whats really in the stack emissions its not baking bread.
Sep 18, 2009 at 10:57 p.m.
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It's funny to read what people say on subjects that they know nothing about, Let me give you some insight. The corn that is being processed for ethanol production is grown for animal feed. The process removes the starch from the kernel and the rest is turned into a high grade protein rich feed for livestock. It's funny that out of 5600 people in Milton only 3 people complain on a regular basis. I was recently on a fishing trip to Stoors Lake. Every 15 minutes or so I had to hold my breath from getting infected with the cancer fumes emitted from the limestone pit next to it. The difference is that whatever organization owns this has been around for years. I have witnessed the odor that these individuals are complaining about and to me it smells like a bakery. Neighbors of the ethanol plant as well as DNR officials complain of headaches and feeling nautious, I wonder if the employees are wearing impervious chemical suits so they can survive such a horiffic atmosphere. I also wonder if residents are just ticked off because they didnt have a say in improving Miltons economy by bringing a multimillion dollar organization to a small community like Milton. It's funny that the one neighbor who complains the most has a highway in front and a new highway now being built in back of her house. She will now have to deal with tons of diesel emmisions as well as the intermittent smell of a bakery. Maybe Milton should focus more on the Illisate drug use among area youth. More money, focus and energy should be put towards the Milton School District to refine background checks on future employees considering the recent allegations of molestation. Support a company that helps a community grow or spend money to fight growth while the youth continues to be neglected.
Sep 17, 2009 at 4:35 p.m.
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If the plant is putting so much polution into the air why is it the DNR is not shuting down the plant? I think it is due to the fact that 1. nothing emitted is toxic 2. they know this and can do nothing about it. also is Matt Frank related to the complainer Frank?
Sep 16, 2009 at 11:42 a.m.
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greengina ethanol uses alot of corn and you don't think that affects food prices? Animals have to be fed and corn is a big part of their feed. The cost which in turn is passed on the the consumer. As for the junk mail that no one wants well if they are following the law they are placing that paper in a recycling bin. Soy based ink I want to read the paper not eat it. And to the comment that Franks pit smells worse than the ethanol plant I disagree some of the smells coming off the ethanol plant take your breath away and are full of very bad chemicals. Not to say that Franks will not harm you but they have been there for years and you don't see the DNR taking enforcement action on them. Its time for people to voice their opinions to Miltons City Council it should be interesting.
Sep 16, 2009 at 10:37 a.m.
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hey facts101- sounds like you need some fiber-you're too cranky. Need a hug?
Sep 16, 2009 at 10:14 a.m.
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facts101- Now, now, no name calling. The plant that produces junk mail (something most people don't want and throw away) does not use recycled paper, or soy based ink; less toxic and more sustainable alternatives. The Frank Brother's pit belches toxins into the air and water and smells much worse than the Ethanol plant. I can't imagine PAH's being good for anyone, including Storr's Lake. No one complains because they supply the county with whatever they need for highway projects.
Your food prices are not higher because of Ethanol; they're higher because the price of a bushel of corn is higher now than it has ever been because of inflation-most farmers are not racing to supply Ethanol plants with their corn (simply a scare tactic to fool people into believing Ethanol is bad). Other crops are much better suited for Ethanol i.e. switch grass and hemp; both native and require no pesticide, herbicide, or irrigation because they are suited to our climate, and produce more energy per acre hands down when compared to corn.
I believe the plant should comply with all safety and health regulations and if they continue to be a problem they should be shut down-no one is above the law, here. I would also encourage people to voice their opinions on this subject where it counts- this forum is not it.
Sep 15, 2009 at 9:50 a.m.
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partarican1 you either have to be an idiot or just plain uninformed. Last time I checked Air Products has a very clean record. And living close to them for the last 23 years I don't have one complaint. The junk mail company??? what the heck has that got to do with an ethanol company pumping toxic chemicals into the air? Franks pit???funny the DNR is not thinking about turning them over to the justice dept for failing to comply. United Ethanol promised they would be good neighbors and they have failed. Their poison is harming families and thier childern. It may be a joke to them when someone calls buts its serious for the families that have to breathe or at least try and breathe the toxic chemicals that are coming from this big brewery. Ethanol would be a money losing game if the goverment would not pay them to produce it. Its not the answer to getting away from oil its the answer to higher corn prices and higher food prices. Other than that its not worth the powder to blow it up.
Sep 14, 2009 at 10:05 a.m.
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And still, no one seems to care about the pollution the Frank Brother's pit, the new junk mail company on 59, or Tomah Products pumps into Milton's natural resources. While corn based ethanol isn't the best way to get fuel, at least it's a start in the right direction. Now if we could just get the farmers to plant switch grass and hemp, we'd be set...
Sep 13, 2009 at 7:17 p.m.
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Once again, sarcasm escapes some, such as miltonalum.
Sep 13, 2009 at 11:45 a.m.
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I'll bet the pig and cow manure smells much better out there. Go ahead Milton, follow the example set by Madison and put more people out of work, then sit around and scratch your behinds and wonder why your taxes are going up and why your local economy is in the crapper.
Sep 13, 2009 at 10:28 a.m.
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smartypants: I don't think the smell you talking of is from the plant... I think it's from the wastewater treatment plant. During different times of the year or depending on wind direction that can really be smelled from a good distance. I'm not in favor of the plant so don't get me wrong. One day I came out of my house to a very strong and strange odor. The only way I can describe it was like rubbing alcohol. Not to mention the frequent smell from the yeast.
Sep 13, 2009 at 10:18 a.m.
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I live on the east side of Milton. Lately the smell is worse on Fridays after 5 pm. The smell is horrible. You cannot stay outside. It is the smell of rotting, putrid garbage. Shame on United Ethanol and shame on those who brought this to Milton. I hope to move as soon as I can.
Sep 13, 2009 at 8:16 a.m.
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they did, pay attention to the article, they created a condition use permit that can be revoked.
Sep 13, 2009 at 12:21 a.m.
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I wonder if the Milton city council, when they had their secret meetings to approve this fiasco, also devised a secret plan for handling all the problems that came along with it?
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