SHELBY — The Shelby Town Planning Board laid the CO2 plant issue to rest Tuesday evening when it unanimously approved its construction.
Located on a parcel of land just feet from the ethanol facility, the CO2 plant will convert carbon dioxide, a byproduct in the production of ethanol, into a usable liquid.
The plant will be operated by EPCO Carbon Dioxide of Monroe, La., which owns 10 other CO2 plants across the U.S. It will consist of a single building surrounded by storage tanks and an evaporator skid.
With the planning board’s special use permit and site plan approval, the company has plans to be up and running by July, said board member Kirk Myhill.
One of the stipulations by the planning board is that EPCO decrease trucking noise. A study commissioned by the board this month revealed some of the loudest noises emitted from the ethanol facility are caused by the “blow down valves” when trucks load and unload.
“If the blow down valves exceed a particular noise level, EPCO should address that problem,” Myhill said.
EPCO will also be required to maintain sufficient off-street parking and circulation for transport trucks and employee vehicles during peak operation periods. Bulk materials are required to be stored securely, and exterior lighting should not produce a glare on adjoining properties.
The board considered requesting that EPCO limit weekend truck traffic to the hours of 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. only. Planning Board Chairman Tom Fuller felt it could be damaging to the business.
“You’re trying to tell a company they should operate during certain hours,” he said. “The trucking is their operation. ... They have customers.”
The noise created by the evaporator skid should not exceed 60 decibels — the equivalent of a conversation. It also should not add to any noise already emitted by the ethanol plant, EPCO said.
Emergency responders with the Town of Shelby Fire Department will coordinate with EPCO in the event of an emergency, Fuller said.
Concerns of residents living within hearing distance of the ethanol and CO2 facility will be addressed by the owners, said Orleans County Legislator William Eick. Jon and Mike Sawyer, CFO for Western New York Energy, the company that owns the $30 million ethanol plant, commissioned their own noise level study, he said. Data was taken on seven consecutive days — six more than the planning board’s, with similar results.
The Sawyers are currently exploring what they can do to mitigate the noise, Eick said. Planting a row of trees bordering the facility is one option.
“I have no reservations they’re going to do as much as they possibly can,” said Gabrielle Barone with the Orleans Industrial Development Agency.
The CO2 plant met County Planning Board approval in March. A state environmental quality review conducted by the Orleans Industrial Development Agency concluded that the project will not cause any significant adverse environmental impacts.
Contact reporter Nicole Colemanat 798-1400, ext. 2227.
Business
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