CBS News reported that Rohnert Park residents are expressing concern about a Sonoma County plastic recycling company that plans to use untested technology to break down non-recyclable plastics.
“The microwave technology that they’re touting is unproven,” Justin Flake, a local parent, told CBS News. “There’s nothing else that exists like this in the United States, and we don’t want to be guinea pigs.”
The location of the Resynergi plant is about 600 feet away from Credo High School.
Resynergi CEO Brian Bauer touted the process, but environmentalists and parents of Credo High School students are concerned.
Environmental group California Communities against Toxins filed an “intent to sue” notice based on Resynergi’s failure to secure required federal air quality permits. The group alleges that the plant is in violation of California’s Clean Air Act.
The microwave technology heats non-recyclable plastics to break them down without burning, a process that releases air pollution of unknown quality. The concern is that this pollution may be a health risk to the community.
Non-recyclable plastics can contain hundreds to thousands of chemicals, at least 25% of which are considered to be health and environmental hazards. These chemicals could potentially pose a health risk to local community members and may also harm the local ecosystem.
Resynergi has operated a pilot plant in Santa Rosa, California, since 2021 and states that the exhaust from the plant is similar to that of a semi-trailer truck. The chemical composition of the pollution remains unknown. In addition to posing a potential local risk to human health and the balance of the ecosystem, this type of pollution also contributes to the overall warming of the planet.
Since the Resynergi plant directly affects the local community, it is essential for local residents and Credo High School community members to take action to gain clarification regarding the potential health risks that the plant’s pollution may pose, especially with long-term exposure.
A confused Flake explained the concern from community members: “We don’t know why it needs to be right in the middle of a residential neighborhood.”
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