08/16/2006

Plant neighbors get warning

GT County advises them to avoid exposure to sulfur dioxide

By Bill O'Brien

bobrien@record-eagle.com

TRAVERSE CITY — Neighbors of Williamsburg Receiving and Storage are being warned to avoid exposure to sulfur dioxide emitted from the cherry processing plant, based on U.S. Environmental Protection Agency air quality tests.

Dozens of residents in the vicinity of WRS received telephone calls and letters Tuesday from the Grand Traverse County Health Department that warned of elevated sulfur dioxide levels detected in recent air tests commissioned by the EPA.

County health department director Fred Keesler said the office issued advisory letters after consulting with state Department of Community Health officials after the state reviewed the EPA data.

Keesler said authorities will conduct follow-up tests to determine if more action is needed, but decided to warn residents that sulfur dioxide levels recorded by the EPA could produce health problems.

"We thought it was worth it to err on the side of caution," Keesler said.

WRS representatives challenged the results of the preliminary tests and questioned whether the equipment was accurate and whether other, non-WRS-related agriculture operations could have produced some of the results.

"We believe there's some significant limitations and qualitative concerns related to that information," company attorney Joseph Quandt said.

Meanwhile, WRS will install an air treatment system and empty its wastewater lagoon among steps to reduce odors at the plant.

Circuit Judge Thomas Powers approved an order Tuesday in a lawsuit between the state, the company and a group of nearby residents in which WRS agreed to eliminate all "nuisance odors" within the next 60 days.

"That was our first goal in this case ... let's get a handle on this as an interim measure and go from there," said Christopher Bzdok, an attorney for the Whitewater Residents Association neighborhood group.

"The company is completely committed to resolving all the odor issues at the facility," Quandt said.

See related story:

• Processing plant odor lawsuit to get hearing - Aug. 13, 2006