Greene, Murray County residents show up to oppose biowaste facility in explosive meeting
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene in front of hundreds of Murray County residents opposing a biowaste facility.
CHATSWORTH, Ga. (WDEF)- It was an explosive scene inside of a Murray County gym Thursday evening at a public hearing over a biowaste facility.
76 people signed up to speak against the anaerobic digestor that Vanguard Renewables, a subsidiary of Blackrock, would like to build along Barry-Bennett Road in southern Murray County.
Among them was Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, who gave a fiery speech discussing why this would be a bad idea for the county.
Rep. Greene said her office had received more messages over the proposed anaerobic digester by Vanguard Renewables, a subsidiary of Blackrock, than any issue in her time in Congress.
Ever with her resignation to take effect next month, she said it was important to her to speak on this issue.
Rep. Greene told Vanguard representatives and scientists, “Let me tell you about these people behind me. They are tired! They are so damn tired of this (expletive) right here. Oh yes! They are fed up with it!… This is pristine beautiful land and don’t any one of you act like you care about the environment if you wanna build that piece of (expletive) here.”
A panel of Vanguard representatives and scientists attempted to assure the mostly opposed audience that their project is safe.
They say they plan to take food waste from the Atlanta area and convert into energy and fertilizer, and would create six jobs.
They claim that is safe, something that most in attendance disagreed with.
Dr. Zachary Curtis, would studies the impact of food waste, told the audience, “It’s very difficult for the digestive to get down to the water table.”
This explanation, along with many other of the panel’s arguments, were met with boos from the crowd.
Jim Freeman, who intends to sell his family’s farm on Barry-Bennett Road to Vanguard for the project, argued most of the opposition was based on misinformation, which drew negative reactions from the crowd.
Freeman said, “We’ve spent time and effort building what I think is a beautiful farm there.”
An audience member asked Freeman, “Would your dad like this?”
Freeman responded, “Yes my dad would like this thank you,” which was met with more boos.
Representative Greene and Murray County Commissioner Noah Bishop added that a nest of American Bald Eagles has been discovered after the birds were spotted by residents, prompting an investigation by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.
That species is federally protected.
She also argued that the site should not be built in a wetland and floodplain.
Rep. Greene said, “You can’t build a house on a floodplain or wetland, and when there is a federally protected species, this is done. Absolutely done.
Residents echoed that message.
One resident, Tavares, said, “Don’t try to (expletive) country folks, we aren’t as dumb as y’all think.”
Another resident, Revla Biddy, said, “You are not bringing us anything. The pros don’t outweigh the cons. You’re talking about jobs, which you’re only bringing six, and building next to our creek where our kids swim.”
The Georgia Environmental Protection Division will have the final decision on whether or not this plan will be allowed to be built here in Murray County.
