ADEM found REEF in violation of an air permit ADEM 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 when the consent order goes into effect.
Final approval of the consent order cannot happen until after the public has had 30 days in which to comment on the order. ADEM released the notice on Sept. 29, so any member of the public can submit a written comment, including a request for a hearing, to ADEM until Oct. 28.
Comments should be sent to the mailing address – Alabama Department of Environmental Management, Attention: Ronald W. Gore, chief of the Air Division, P.O. Box 301463, Montgomery, AL 36130-1463.
A copy of the public notice can be found at the Web site adem.alabama.gov by clicking the “Public Notices” link, then clicking the “September” link, then clicking the “Reef Environmental Services” link found under the heading “Proposed Administrative Orders.”
The link to the full copy of the consent order is highlighted on the public notice page and is in PDF form. Those without Internet access can obtain the consent order for a nominal fee by sending a written request to the previously-mentioned mailing address.
According to the consent order, when ADEM issued the air permit on May 15, it set a deadline of June 30 for REEF to have the basin cover and scrubber system installed on equalization basin 1 for odor control.
ADEM then performed an unannounced inspection of REEF on July 1, and found an approximate 100-foot tear in the basin cover and the scrubber system was not fully installed.
REEF’s rebuttal in the proposed consent order states REEF believes the basin cover delivered to the company was not appropriate for the type of treatment being performed and/or has a manufacturing defect. REEF claims it has vigorously pursued getting the basin cover replaced or repaired by the manufacturer.
REEF also claims a thunderstorm blew down the partially-installed scrubber which led to a delay as the scrubber was refabricated. The scrubber has been operational since July 13, REEF claims. The company plans to continue to use the scrubber even with the cover being deflated with the tear because it still seems to reduce the odor.
REEF also points out there is no reliable scientific evidence that the facility’s emissions cause any injury to the environment or to people. The company says ADEM’s own air monitoring at the site, as well as surrounding areas, revealed no significant levels of hazardous air pollutants coming from the REEF facility.
Several residents in the Sylacauga area have reported in the media and at public meetings that the odor has affected their health.
Should the consent order agreement between the two parties breakdown, the matter would be handled in Montgomery County Circuit Court.
get rid of Reef. We all must write or e-mail ADEM and object to the concent agreement. We don't want a fine we want Reef shut down. It is dangerous to our health. How many time did they say that asbestos or nuclear waste would not or did not cause human sickness. How many people have died and suffered from these things? Countless thousands if not millions. I hate to think that I retired, moved from Childersburg to beautiful Sylacauga to escape the stinch and can't enjoy or even allow a stinch to kill me before my time. These people from Reef did not submit trueful and acurate information in order to get a permit to operate this facility so close to such a populated area. Remember write or call or e-mail or visit ADEM and let them know this situation is intolerable. City officials please annex this area now and purchase anything else that could be sold by Avondale. Remember people of Sylacauga the Avondale that shut down was not the Avondale you could rely on back when. Why do we have to continue to talk about this stinch. Crazy Crazy Crazy.
1. Mayor of Sylacauga; Sam Wright
2. Each council-member of Sylacauga; Walter Jacobson; Doug Murphree; Ken Horn; Jim Heigel; Manuel Smith
3. State Representative of our district; Ron Johnson
4. State Senator for our district; Jim Preuitt
5. Each US Senator for Alabama; Jeff Sessions; Richard Shelby
6. US House of Rep.; Mike Rogers
Not only the winners, but check the people they were campaigning against, lobbyist do not care about party lines, they just care that whomever won got monies from them so they can say "I helped get ya in office ole buddy ole pal". Check each person out, their campaign contributors are public record for anyone to see. Who wants to bet that one or more of these names will appear on contribution lists? Kenton Hall; David Dagford; William Mershon; Vernon Taylor. But you know politics can be tricky, they may have contributed under another name, that of a spouse, god only knows all those tricks - so you may or may not find a "gotcha" moment, but bet your bottom dollars that people received monies for their campaigns from these folks. Maybe some returned the checks, kudos for those that did, for those that accepted the funds, shame on you and I wish you had to spend every night of the rest of your term sleeping on a sleeping bag right slap dab in the middle of the air path of REEF, LLC - that would be a small step in repaying the public for your betrayal.
All we need now are addresses and phone numbers.
Mr. Kenton Hall- Prattville, AL
Mr. David Dagford - Prattville, AL
Mr. William C. Mershon- Owner of Universal Turbine Parts -Prattville, AL
Mr. Vernon B. Taylor- Employee of Universal Turbine Parts - Prattville, AL
This information is located with the Sec. of State in Montgomery, AL
TO: BG SCHNEIDER...I do not have any info on the owners of REEF...I only know that they live in Prattville. The Mayor and Calvin Miller or the Industrial Board should have all this info on file...they are the ones who helped bring them to the city.
To: STEVE TERRELL...You may be right about the powers that be not caring about the mill village citizens....I do and t.v. 47 does...our film crew spent several hours there this afternoon...almost choking to death due to the fumes, and if all goes as planned, I will be showing the interviews of several citizens who live in the mill village. I do know that the semll is beginning to penetrate the "society" section of town and they are beginning to speak up and make phone calls...this is what it is going to take...everyone sending a message to their elected officials that they are upset, mad, and yes sick...does not matter where you received your education...in prison or any school system....everyone is being affected by this odor...Thanks for speaking out.
The seriousness of REEF and the damage it is doing
to the people in and around Sylagauga should be reason enough not to put inane slurs on this board.
Obviously, you have not experienced the smell and certainly not the illness it has brought and is bringing to the people, including our older citizens and newborns.
Education is education no matter where it comes from....something you seem to lack entirely.