Murray County residents voice concerns over proposed biowaste plant

MURRAY COUNTY, Ga. (WDEF)- There is increasing outrage in Murray County due to a proposed biowaste facility.

The facility would be on Barry-Bennett Road about 15 minutes south of Chatsworth.

One such resident, Cody Spence, lives a mile away from the purposed plant with his family.

He says despite his proximity, he was only made aware in recent days even though the project has been in development since 2024.

This was due to the zoning process for agricultural spots in Murray County not requiring a hearing.

Spence said, “They did not have to notify the public and adjacent land owners of this project.”

The company behind this proposal is Vanguard Renewables, who is owned by Blackrock.

Vanguard described the project in a statement to News 12:

  “Vanguard Renewables is proposing the construction of an anaerobic digestion facility in Murray County, Georgia, to recycle food and beverage waste into renewable natural gas and low-carbon fertilizer. The facility will process up to 290 tons of organic waste daily, generating approximately 270,000 MMBtu of RNG annually and creating local jobs.”

In short, food waste taken from the Atlanta metro would be brought to this Murray County plant.

Through a multi week process, the waste is turned into natural gas and a variety of other products.

Murray County Commissioner Noah Bishop says this process began before he took office earlier this year, and highlights issues within the county’s zoning processes.

Bishop said, “Due to our zoning regulations, Murray County did not get to go through the approval or denial process… We are in the process of changing that. We cannot go back and make retroactive changes. We can’t apply the changes that we are making to this project, but we can ensure nothing like this happens in the future.”

He says that Murray County doesn’t have anything like this, and hopes it stays that way.

Bishop said, “It’s a pretty place down there, and people have got some beautiful property down there. I know for a fact Murray County does not want this, and on a personal scale I do not want this. However, I took an oath to uphold the law and my hands are tied.”

Spence says that over 1,500 people have signed a petition against the project, as concerns rise about the impact this project could have.

He described, “The odor and obnoxious smells that are going to come out of this thing is going to make it to where we can’t enjoy our properties in the way that we otherwise would have.”

Spence also said he was concerned about the noise the plant could create, along with truck traffic on the back country roads that currently do not see such vehicles.

He also said he is worried that his property values could down as well, saying, “Even if we wanted to sell, which is the last thing that we want to do, it’s going to go below market rate compared to similar properties because of this facility.”

Vanguard in that statement to News 12 stated:

   “The project will fully comply with all environmental regulations and permitting requirements set by the Georgia Environmental Protection Division and Department of Agriculture, ensuring safe operations and environmental stewardship. A positive relationship with the communities we operate in, and those we are considering for future development, is extremely important to us. We understand anaerobic digestion may be a new concept for many, and we look forward to discussing our process and the benefits to local communities and the environment in greater detail at the upcoming public hearing.”

It is worth noting that Vanguard has faced environmental violations in other states, including this case in Massachusetts over hydrogen sulfide gas emissions.

The Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) will have the final say in this case over whether or not this biowaste plant is built.

They will hold a public hearing on November 6 at 6 p.m.

This was initially scheduled for the Murray County Annex Building but may be moved due to high capacity.

Commissioner Bishop says he is urging the public to show up, as he says the EPD “Takes note of how many people show up and pushback on a project.”

Spence says he is planning to continue to raise awareness on the issue.

He said, “Nobody in this community wants this. This is something that was kind of sprung on us, and was flying under the radar.”