By ANDREA POTEET
Sunday Times Newspapers
WYANDOTTE — A controversial plan for a biofuel plant in the city was struck down last week.
The city council voted May 22 to terminate a lease agreement with Environmental Generation Technology Advisor LLC for a 10 megawatt power plant at 4200 Eighth St.
The lease required EGTA provide the city with a fuel source contract, a financing commitment and an Environmental Indemnity Agreement for city council approval by June 1. As of May 22, council members said they had not received the documents. May 22 was the last council meeting before the deadline.
The plant would have gasified refused-derived fuel gleaned from municipal solid waste – mostly made of paper, grass clippings and textiles – to create renewable energy.
The city approved a land contract with the company in February. At the meeting, residents spoke out about possible health concerns from the plant and voiced their fears that the fuel could contain harmful elements, a claim EGTA repeatedly denied. Some council members also questioned whether the company had the experience necessary to run the plant and if the project was properly researched.
City Engineer Mark Kowalewski presented the option of terminating the lease agreement to council at its last meeting, saying the members should vote on it that night. The vote passed 5-0. Councilman Todd Browning was not present.
City Administrator Todd Dysdale did not return phone calls seeking comment by press time but has said in published reports that the city is still working to lease the property on Eighth.