16: Keeping Unicoi County, TN's Air Clear

Court Lewis is President of the Executive Committee of Unicoi Clear. The asphalt company, Summers-Taylor Materials Corp. has revised its application for an air quality permit to expand operations at the former Construction Asphalt Paving Services plant in Unicoi, TN.

The town of Unicoi joined in the request for a public hearing in June following a Unicoi Planning Commission meeting in which town residents addressed concerns including:

• An increase in emissions beyond those permitted by the state since the plant began operations in the 1990s.

• Increases in noise and truck traffic that could negatively impact property values.

• Detrimental impacts on the quality of life, health and property values of residents of more than 100 families who live near the plant.

• TDEC’s failure to publish a notice of Summers-Taylor initial application for a permit to expand operations in Unicoi in a newspaper likely to be read by Unicoi County residents and subsequent award of that permit.

• Summers-Taylor purchase of property adjoining the plant and town zoning ordinances that prohibit asphalt plants outside the two-acre CAPS site.

With Court we discuss Unicoi Clear and why they formed as a group, rezoning of the site, public health and environmental impacts of asphalt plants, proximity of the asphalt plant to residents, and how you can support their work.

Contact and connect with Court: unicoi-air@mindspring.com

More on Summer Taylor’s Asphalt plant: https://www.johnsoncitypress.com/news/summers-taylor-revises-application-for-unicoi-asphalt-plant-expansion-public-hearing-postponed/article_88fae136-d11f-11ea-b0b5-bf48a51a6e5e.html