A judge halted all action on local approvals for an ethanol plant
in Greene Township.
Franklin County Court Judge Richard Walsh issued the stay
Thursday at the request of Citizens for a Quality Environment and 10
people.
Penn-Mar Ethanol LLC, a group of farmer/investors based in York,
proposes building an $80 million plant in Cumberland Valley Business
Park. Penn-Mar is seeking township and state approvals for the
plant, which would convert feed corn into fuel for vehicles.
Residents have said they are concerned about potential emissions,
traffic and dangerous materials that would be used at the plant.
"This (stay) is news to me," said Dave Jamison, chairman of
Greene Township supervisors. "If a stay was issued, we're going to
stop all processing of the application."
Representatives from Penn-Mar, Greene Township and Letterkenny
Industrial Development Authority said they must confer with their
respective boards and attorneys before responding to the judge's
order. The organizations have 20 days to answer the petition for a
stay.
Penn-Mar project manager Scott Welsh said there is a good chance
that his company would ask the court to lift the stay.
The petition to halt the local approval process followed the
group's appeal of the first township approval. In county court on
Monday, members appealed Greene Township Zoning Hearing Board
decisions:
An ethanol plant is a permitted use in the township's industrial
zone.
The township's height limit does not apply to the plant's tanks,
stacks, dryer and elevators.
Penn-Mar submitted its land development plan to Greene Township
Planning Commission on May 27, and the township has 90 days to
consider the application.
Without a stay, the township could approve the land development
plan before the court could rule on the citizens' appeal, according
to the appeal filed by Chambersburg attorney Fred Antoun. A neighbor
to the proposed plant site, Antoun represents the group of
citizens.
According to Antoun's petition for a stay, neither LIDA, which is
selling 55 acres to Penn-Mar, nor Penn-Mar would be harmed by the
stay:
Penn-Mar has until the end of January to settle with LIDA for
the purchase of the land.
"Penn-Mar Ethanol previously accepted a one-year township review
process in Conoy Township (Lancaster County) for the same project."
Penn-Mar has said the project was moved to Franklin County
because of rail service in the local business park.
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Jim Hook can be reached at 262-4759, or jhook@pubop.com.
Originally published June 17, 2005
