County Commissioners Join Lawrenceburg In Effort To Block Out-Of-State Fly Ash

By Mike Perleberg File photo (Dearborn County, Ind.) - Dearborn County Commissioners are joining the City of Lawrenceburg in opposition to the importation of toxic fly ash into the city. Tanners Creek Development, LLC an affiliate of Commercial Development Company, Inc., wants to use out-of-state fly ash to complete the filling of an ash landfill at the former Tanners Creek Power Plant site. The 725-acre property is being prepared for possible redevelopment as an inland port by Ports of Indiana. In a letter signed Tuesday, the county commissioners call on the Indiana Department of Environmental Management to reject Tanners Creek Development’s permit modification request that would allow the fly ash to be imported to Indiana. Commissioner Shane McHenry states “the potential negative environmental impact and the health hazards that the coal combustion residuals would subject our citizens to cannot be overlooked.” As Lawrenceburg Mayor Kelly Mollaun did in the city’s letter also written Tuesday, the commissioners cite Indiana Code 13-20-1-2. That law states that the company “must demonstrate that there is a local or regional need for the facility.” “Please understand that there is absolutely no local or regional need for coal combustion residuals from the State of Ohio to be deposited into the ground in Dearborn County, Indiana. If there were a local or regional need for such a project, this letter would be a letter of support rather than a letter of opposition. The potential health and environmental dangers far outweigh any potential benefit to the City of Lawrenceburg, Dearborn County, and/or the State of Indiana as a whole,” the McHenry wrote. McHenry concludes the four-paragraph letter by telling IDEM residents’ health matters more than bringing new business to the county. “While Dearborn County is supportive of the development of the property in question, we cannot sacrifice the well-being of our citizens in order to see said development come to fruition,” he wrote. At the request of Mayor Mollaun’s administration, IDEM agreed on Tuesday to begin allowing the public to comment on the fly ash situation. You can learn how to submit your comments here. RELATED STORIES: IDEM Opens Fly Ash Permit Modification For Public Comment Citizens Air Worries About Fly Ash Shipped Into Lawrenceburg Toxic Fly Ash Could Be Shipped Into Lawrenceburg; Mayor Trying To Make A Stand Demolition, Decontamination Timeline Shortened At Former L’burg Power Plant Ports Of Indiana Enjoying Growth In 2017 Ports Of Indiana Enters $8M Purchase Agreement For Lawrenceburg Site IBJ: Governor Continues To Back Lawrenceburg River Port Official Release: Ports Of Indiana Identifies Former Lawrenceburg Coal Plant As Site For Future Port Analysis A Year After Closing, Tanners Creek Plant’s Fate Undecided