Citizens ask council to get tough on RES

By Dennis W. Sowers Of The Press Staff
Local residents drew the line in the sand Tuesday night, asking the Carthage City Council to keep Carthage and its RES plant foul odor-free.



More than 50 people, accompanied by 600 signatures, stated emphatically and emotionally that the odor from Renewable Environmental Solutions was disrupting their lives.

"We all know it smells," said David Orr, who lives just north of Carthage's city limits. "We all would rather not be here. It's changing our lives."

Back on March 13, Christina Wideman of 226 N. McGregor Ave., said the odor destroyed a birthday party at her next door neighbor's.

"We have children," she said. "We all have children. They shouldn't be locked up inside."

"It's so bad out there at times that you just don't want to go outside," said Birl Pruitt of 101100 County Road 130. "I'm hoping you can do something. Something needs to be done.

"It's interfered with my life, my family, my home and my standard of living."

Another resident said that his relatives got sick at a Fourth of July cookout and had to leave. He said he bought a purifier for the house.

Ron Leiser, 827 Limestone St., gave the council 600 signatures protesting the odor and asking for action.

"The people of this area have displayed a lot of patience while waiting and hoping that this company would make the needed repairs or modifications to their equipment which would stop the odors," Leiser said in a prepared statement. "The word from the company was that they have had some problems and that they were either going to make repairs, or that the plant was now shut down to make some form of modification."

He said residents deserve an enjoyable environment but too often it has not been possible, depending on the direction of the wind.

Tricia Orr said that an RES engineer and staff have been to her house and promised a resolution to the problem.

"We want something in black and white," she said. "We want something saying it will be taken care of."

Carthage Press