Schroeppel, NY -- More than 100 people packed the Schroeppel town hall Thursday night wanting more answers about the proposed beef finishing-ethanol project by Bion Environmental Technologies. Karen Hall, head of the group Citizens for Family Farms, and others again asked the town board to rescind a resolution it passed in December stating the board “does express its support for...
Schroeppel, NY -- More than 100 people packed the Schroeppel town hall Thursday night wanting more answers about the proposed beef finishing-ethanol project by Bion Environmental Technologies.
Karen Hall, head of the group Citizens for Family Farms, and others again asked the town board to rescind a resolution it passed in December stating the board “does express its support for the development of the proposed Bion project within the town of Schroeppel” as long as Bion meets all permit regulations and laws.
The board did not act on those requests.
Bion’s proposal is to use waste from the operation’s 72,000 beef cattle to make enough energy to power its ethanol plant, use ethanol waste to feed the cattle and then slaughter and package the beef to sell for consumption throughout the Northeast. Bion has not selected a site in Schroeppel, has not filed any permits or applications as of yet and still is years away from finalizing its plan.
Hall, who lives in Clay near the Schroeppel town line, said her group has been growing in numbers. One new member, Steve Hutchins, who runs a bed and breakfast in Pennellville, asked the town board to put the project up to a referendum of all Schroeppel voters.
“I thought we lived in a democracy, but out town board won’t listen,” Hutchins said. “Let’s put this up to a referendum and ask the public yay or nay to the Bion project.”
Hall said not only do people in town oppose the project, but they dislike that the town board issued the resolution of “support” without asking all town residents.
Supervisor Paul Casler said the resolution passed in December simply told Bion the town would be willing to consider putting the project in Schroeppel if Bion could obtain all the environmental and local permits it needs.
“There is nothing to rescind," Casler said of the resolution. "We don't even have an application from Bion, so there's nothing to stop."