Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Putnam County Commission denies Novastis waste‑to‑fuel facility after public opposition and Jackson‑law review
Summary
After a Jackson‑law hearing and extensive public testimony about odors, traffic and neighborhood impacts, the Putnam County Commission voted 19–2 to deny Novastis’s application to expand a waste‑to‑fuel processing facility near residential areas and Cane Creek Park.
Putnam County commissioners voted on Nov. 10 to deny Novastis’s application under Tennessee’s Jackson‑law review process after a hearing that drew dozens of citizens and detailed questions from commissioners.
At a public hearing, Novastis cofounder Kelly Wolbus described the company’s NovaDry process, calling it a non‑thermal system that dewaters and pulverizes municipal solid waste into a high‑BTU fuel, and said the firm would use negative‑air systems and detectors to control odors and remove contaminated loads. "We use a ton of air, so it's a negative airflow situation," Wolbus said, adding the company believes its product is "carbon‑negative" compared with landfill disposal.
Residents who live near the proposed facility told commissioners they were worried about air quality, garbage blowing from the site, truck traffic, stormwater runoff…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
