(Credit: GoFundMe)
Among fervor of resident opposition, a New England company that wanted to build a facility in Plumstead Township to convert unwanted food into an animal feed alternative to corn and soy has pulled its plans from the township.
On a Facebook post on Tuesday, Plumstead Township posted that Bright Feeds issued a formal withdrawal of its land development plan for 6124 Potters Lane.
“There is no further action to be taken with respect to the previously filed Land Development application by the Township boards and commissions. As such, effective immediately, the application and all reviews of the project have been terminated, and the land development will not be on any further meeting agendas,” said the post.
According to the Bucks County Herald, the manufacturer told the public that its manufacturing process involves “regenerative thermal oxidizers,” and residents complained to the township and the applicant about potential noise and odor conditions.
So much so, that residents banded together and formed a GoFundMe to fight the battle, raising $38,000 earmarked for legal fees and the like, as well as producing hundreds of yard signs and distributing flyers about the issue.
According to the report, residents were weary of the move, as they expected the applicant to resurface in the future.
Residents had packed back-to-back public meetings this time last month to voice concerns about odor, noise, truck traffic, stormwater, and property values.
The zoning hearing board on Oct. 7 discussed two parking variances and resolved to recommend that supervisors allow Bright Feeds to reserve more than 40 percent of required spaces, which the company said would avoid tree clearing and additional stormwater systems, according to the Bucks County Herald.
Neighbors and the nonprofit Friends Against Bright Feeds pressed their case during the Oct. 8 supervisors’ public comment period, while the company pointed to changes made at its first plant in Berlin, CT, after complaints there about odor and noise, according to the report.
CEO Jonathan Fife told the Herald the firm invested in a regenerative thermal oxidizer that heats exhaust air to about 1,500 degrees to destroy odor-causing compounds and said the system, along with silencers and insulated ductwork, helped the Berlin site meet local rules, per the article.
Bright Feeds said a similar oxidizer would have been installed in Bucks County and operations would not have run a single day without it.
Traffic and safety on narrow Potters Lane were another flashpoint. Bright Feeds estimated up to 20 truck trips daily at full capacity and said it was working on patterns to reduce impacts; an engineering review commissioned by the company concluded the “minimal” increases would not adversely affect nearby intersections, according to the report.
Company officials also argued the project would serve in-state demand for animal-feed inputs, claiming the process is carbon-negative and noting that Bucks County farmers would qualify for discounted feed.
Company leaders say they have opened their Berlin plant to unannounced visitors and invited Plumstead residents to tour, adding they have “nothing to hide.”
The township has stricter noise rules than Berlin, CT, and Bright Feeds said large fans would be used indoors to comply.
