SYLACAUGA — The Alabama Department of Environmental Management denied requests for a public hearing from residents in and around Sylacauga and has begun enforcement of the $72,000 civil penalty imposed on REEF Environmental Services as agreed upon in a consent order between the two entities, but numerous Sylacauga citizens have appealed the decision.

Sylacauga resident Clara Curtis was notified by ADEM earlier in November that the agency had decided not to hold a public hearing concerning the consent order between REEF and ADEM, which established the $72,000 fine. Curtis had sent in either letters or petition signatures of approximately 2,000 people, she said.

Curtis said ADEM responded that comments from only four citizens had specifically asked for a public hearing and only one other commenter raised an issue specifically related to the consent order – the clause that REEF would pay the fine through installments over three years.

A memorandum between ADEM Air Division employees Scott Sanders and Wes Thornhill published on the ADEM Web site stated Sanders explained to Curtis over the telephone that the petition was not directly related to matters listed in the consent order, which was the failure to properly install and operate a scrubber and basin cover at REEF.

Since the petition was not related to the consent order, the approximately 1,800 signatures were not considered. The submitted comments that did not directly relate to the consent order were also not considered when determining if any changes should be made to the consent order, the memorandum stated.

Curtis is appealing the decision. “(Monday), I just sent 44 more letters by certified mail. They state we object to the consent order, and we still request a public hearing to be held in Sylacauga,” Curtis said.

An off-and-on odor from the REEF facility on Twin Street in the Mill Village just outside Sylacauga has been a nuisance to citizens living within a radius of several miles of the facility since the spring of this year. REEF is a wastewater collection and treatment facility.

On Sept. 29, ADEM found REEF in violation of an air permit ADEM had issued to the company on May 15 of this year. The violations consisted of the failure to properly install and maintain a basin cover on the facility’s equalization basin 1, failure to install a scrubbing system, and failure to route emissions to the scrubbing system.

As part of the agreement, REEF still denies many of ADEM’s claims but has agreed to pay the $72,000 by paying 36 monthly installments of $2,000.

Citizens had a month to submit written comments and/or request a public hearing.