RYAM moving forward on bioethanol as residents lambast mayor's endorsement
Just minutes after a succession of speakers rebuked Fernandina Beach Mayor Bradley Bean for his support of bioethanol, a Rayonier Advanced Materials (RYAM) manager said the company is proceeding with plans to build the alternative fuel production plant.
Senior Director of Project Management Mark Homans said RYAM will be applying for building permits by the end of the year from the city to construct the bioethanol facility that would produce 7.5 million gallons of fuel per year.
Bean, who is running for re-election, said he supported the proposed plant last week at a Nassau County Chamber of Commerce event stating it would lower plant emissions and would be a "no-brainer." He also stated that RYAM was unlikely to talk about the project if the city commission conducted a town hall meeting.
Six speakers lambasted Bean, who works for RYAM, for his backing of the bioethanol project. Then RYAM Senior Director Homans spoke providing details of the company's progress on the bioethanol facility.
"We are actively finalizing the site plans for this project within our current footprint. Our outside engineering firm is working through all those disciplines, which is civil, structural, mechanical, electrical and our project team is working to develop the project controls, the fire safety systems are a very important part of this product that will be fully developed," Homans said. "As well as risk assessments. When all of that engineering is complete, we fully expect and will participate in the city's process by making application to the Technical Review Committee, at which time they would have those level of details. We expect the city to fairly evaluate that application without any preconceptions."
The building permit approval process is handled by the city's Planning and Conservation Department and the Building Department. Building permits are not voted on or approved by the city commission.
The city has a legal opinion from outside land use experts that a bioethanol plant is prohibited by the city's Land Development Code because it involves chemical production.
Commissioner Chip Ross asked Homans, "Is the manufacturing of bioethanol a chemical manufacturing process?"
Homans said, "It is not, and we will be prepared to explain that in the application for the city permit."
Homans attended the city commission meeting along with RYAM's general manager and attorney.
A half dozen Amelia Island residents took issue with Bean's statements endorsing the bioethanol plans at the Chamber of Commerce event.
Taina Christner of No Ethanol Fernandina said Bean's claim that the bioethanol plant would decrease air emissions was false.
She cited RYAM data that harmful emissions for two gases would actually increase dramatically once a bioethanol plant is up and running.
"Before you make a judgment on something, don't just listen to the company. Go look at the data and decide for yourself if emissions are going to increase or decrease," Christner told commissioners.
Joyce Tuten, who is running against Bean in the city commission election, said the RYAM emission data was faulty because the statistics were not up to date.
"One of the reasons the air emissions will go up is because they (RYAM) were legally allowed to submit in their air permit application emissions from 10 years ago," said Tuten, a retired science teacher.
Sandy Kerry, who had successfully placed a bioethanol presentation on the meeting agenda only to have it removed by city charter officers just days before, recited a litany of false statements Bean made last week.
"You have stated, Mayor Bean, that there has been much misinformation (being spread about bioethanol) when, in reality, the misinformation has been spread by you," Kerry told the commission.
She corrected Bean's assertion that the bioethanol planning was in its early stages, when in fact the CEO of RYAM told Wall Street analysts that the plant design was in its final detailed engineering. Kerry cited four other factual errors in Bean's chamber statements.
"You need to recuse yourself not only from any discussion or decision on the proposed bioethanol plant, but you need to recuse or remove yourself from the entire election due to the inherent conflict of interest you have as an (RYAM) employee and because this project, should it go forward, will impact and have consequences on this community, not for years but for generations," she said.
Four-year resident Marylynn Hibdon was incensed that Bean had not remained neutral on the bioethanol issue.
"It makes me wonder what are you using to think about this? The conflict of interest when one of the gentlemen on this commission actually works for the company. I can't imagine this happening where people have ethics and morals and values. It's beyond my comprehension," she said.
Homans concluded the public comments on bioethanol stating RYAM was aware of the public concerns regarding the production plant.
"I just wanted to assure you that we are not cutting any corners here. We're going to do the right thing as we move forward with this process," Homans said. "We will move forward and ask and answer questions that the city will have. We understand the public is disappointed that we haven't been able to share a great amount of detail, it's simply not available."
Homans said a public forum would be conducted by RYAM at a future date to be determined. He reiterated RYAM's efforts to inform the public conducting an earlier open house and creating a website specifically for the bioethanol plant proposal.
"Once you see the whole package, I think you will find that this is absolutely consistent with the city's goals for economic growth, for sustainability and improvement in the environment," Homans told commissioners.
No Ethanol Fernandina is challenging the validity of RYAM's air quality permit application to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. The group is set to question the data submitted at an administrative hearing in Fernandina Beach next month.
