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DEQ plans meeting on noise, odor
By TIM DAVIS/Star-Tribune Editor
Wednesday, January 14, 2004 2:12 PM EST
The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality is expected to hold an informational meeting later this month to address complaints about noise, smoke, and odor from Columbia Forest Products in Chatham.
The meeting, which will be open to the public, is tentatively scheduled for Wednesday, Jan. 28, at 7 p.m. in the Pittsylvania County General District Courtroom.
DEQ officials, who could not be reached to confirm the meeting date, are expected to review their findings and answer questions about the plant, according to Chatham Town Councilman Bill Black.
"We urge the interested public to attend," said Black, who also noted that DEQ's report should be available for review at the Pittsylvania County Public Library in Chatham prior to the information meeting.
Concerns about Columbia Forest surfaced in early November when several residents complained to Chatham Town Council about noise and smoke from the plywood plant off Depot Street.
"It's a roar...a deep rumble that literally penetrates our house," said Henry Mitchell, who with his wife, Patricia, owns and operates Sims-Mitchell House, a bed-and-breakfast on Whittle Street that overlooks Columbia Forest.
"We cannot escape it," said Mitchell, comparing the sound to a "Mississippi foghorn. It's inside. It's outside. It's everywhere. It's pretty much 24 hours a day, seven days a week."
The Mitchells and other residents on Whittle Street also complained about smoke and odor from Columbia Forest.
Mitchell described it as a "heavy, dense fog of gray black stuff that smells like burning tires."
Mitchell noticed a strong odor Monday afternoon, and said his wife was caught in the "invisible cloud" and experienced "searing" of her nose and throat.
According to Mitchell, she was still experiencing discomfort the next day. His daughter, Sarah, suffered the same consequences.
A recent petition signed by about 50 residents asked Columbia Forest to identify the sources of the noise and smoke and submit remedies to the town.
Residents also want the town to consider adopting ordinances regulating industrial noise and smoke.
The county has a noise ordinance that covers the town, but industry is exempt.
Mayor Elton Pruitt promised to take immediate steps to address residents' concerns and assigned the town's Ordinance Committee to investigate the complaints.
"As a town council, we have an obligation to try and work it out for both sides," the mayor said. "We obviously don't want to lose any business in town."
The Ordinance Committee is chaired by Councilman Bill Black and includes council members David Lyle and Calvin Younger. Council member Allan Andersen, who brought the issue to council's attention, has also participated in the study.
Black said the committee has established "listening stations" around town and asked residents to monitor noise from the plant.
Residents have been asked to describe what they hear, and note the time, weather, wind, and other conditions, the councilman said.
The town has also distributed jars so residents can collect ash from the plant.
"What we need is some kind of scientific study, something we can sink our teeth into," said Black.
Columbia Forest general manager Dave Abts said the plant, which manufactures hardwood plywood used in furniture and kitchen cabinets, is concerned about the complaints and has taken steps to identify and remedy potential problems.
"We want to be good corporate citizens of the Town of Chatham and do as much as possible to be good neighbors," he said.
Abts invited town council members to a meeting last week at the plant to discuss what Columbia Forest has done to address the problems. Mitchell and newspaper reporters also attended the meeting.
According to the general manager, Columbia Forest has contacted the Department of Environmental Quality and DEQ officials have visited the plant twice in recent weeks.
The company itself also has been trying to determine the source of the noise, Abts said, noting a microphone has been installed on the roof that records sound levels every two minutes.
He said the average reading has been 71 decibels, which is below the 77-decibel threshold for industry under the county's noise ordinance.
Abts also said the company has taken readings away from the plant and none has exceeded the noise ordinance.
"Obviously, if the noise is bothersome, it's bothersome, and we want to respect that and be good neighbors," he said.
In addition to taking sound readings, Columbia Forest is performing frequency and vibration analyses on its fans, belt drives, and other equipment.
Doane Cowan, a regional engineer for Columbia Forest, said the plant has replaced one fan and plans to replace two others within the next several weeks at a cost of about $15,000.
Columbia Forest also spent about $60,000 on improvements to the plant's dust collection system over the Thanksgiving holiday.
"We've been trying everything we can," said Abts, who attributed the noise to normal "wear and tear" on equipment.
The general manager said he's baffled by complaints of smoke and odor, noting glue used in making plywood is basically an extended flour paste and the plant operates a wood-fired boiler.
"We burn pretty much what you would in your fireplace at home," he said.
Nevertheless, Abts said Columbia Forest is committed to solving the problem.
"We have a requirement to operate under our permitted guidelines and we're doing that," he said. "Anything we can do beyond that to be good citizens and good neighbors we will do."
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