(Credit: GoFundMe)
Plumstead Township residents are stepping up their opposition to a proposed Bright Feeds facility on Potters Lane, packing back-to-back public meetings Oct. 7 and 8 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 be installed in Bucks County and operations would not run a single day without it.
Traffic and safety on narrow Potters Lane were another flashpoint. Bright Feeds estimates up to 20 truck trips daily at full capacity and says it is 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, and Bright Feeds says large fans would be used indoors to comply. The debate is expected to continue as the proposal advances through township reviews, according to the report.
