Proposed asphalt plant drawing concern

If the Georgia Environmental Protection Division decides to grant a permit to Sholan Asphalt, Glynn County will have two asphalt plants right next to each other - and within close proximity to three schools.

Sholan Asphalt has applied to the Georgia Environmental Protection Division's Air Protection Branch for an environmental permit to operate an asphalt plant at 4090 Whitlock St., next door to Douglas Asphalt and within shouting distance of Brunswick High School, Jane Macon Middle School and Heritage Christian Academy (formerly Christian Renewal Academy).

Local environmentalists are opposed to the granting of the permit for a number of reasons.

Daniel Parshley, executive director of the Glynn Environmental Coalition, said the EPD just looks at the legal angle and doesn't take things such as the existing pollution level or established schools into consideration.

But John Yntema, unit manager with the combustion permitting unit of the Georgia Environmental Protection Division, said public interest has caused the agency to extend its pre-permit modeling, which is the method by which the agency calculates the expected emissions.

Yntema also said the agency will be examining the impact on the community.

"We're not only looking at the two asphalt plants," Yntema said. "We're also taking Hercules and Georgia-Pacific Cellulose emissions into consideration and looking at the combined impact for chemicals such as benzene and formaldehyde."

He said EPD staff feels the levels will be acceptable.

"We don't expect to see a lot of multiplied impact," Yntema said.

Parshley said that none of the agencies involved are in compliance with the U.S. Civil Rights Act of 1964.

"(The act) prohibits governments from clustering all the polluting land users in minority and low-income neighborhoods," Parshley said. "Both the county and the state are in violation."

EPD spokesperson Pam Earle said the agency and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency have examined the claim.

"The EPA took a look at what's going on in Glynn County, and they're comfortable with it," Earle said. "They don't feel it's a problem."

Earle added that both the EPD and the EPA consider the controversy a local zoning issue.

Parshley said allowing polluting industries to locate in established neighborhoods poses an economic threat to existing businesses and is a detriment to attracting new business to the area.

"It doesn't matter how the (Glynn County) board of education sites schools," Parshley said. "Until Glynn County considers schools in the planning and approval process, we will be destined to continue making the same mistakes."

A question and answer session and a public hearing will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday at the Brunswick High School cafeteria, 3930 Habersham St., Brunswick, regarding Sholan Asphalt's application to construct and operate an asphalt plant at 4090 Whitlock St., Brunswick.