U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) is joining a chorus of community and public officials concerned about a smell that emanates from an abandoned ethanol plant in Oswego County.
Slow burning corn in a silo at the Attis Biofuels Plant in the Town of Volney is responsible for the odor, which Fulton Mayor Deana Michaels said smells of sewage depending on which way the wind is blowing.
"It’s an obnoxious odor, and it hits you just right and you realize it’s something different, said Michaels. “It’s not your typical smell you’re used to smelling in the air."
The State Department of Conservation has already tested the air quality around the plant, and determined there’s no danger to the public. But because the plant is still owned by Attis, based in Georgia, fire crews can’t get on the property to deal with the slow burn.
“This is just a bunch of grain sitting there, and it’s really warm on the inside that’s been heating over months,” Michaels said. “And after it popped a hole in the top, the smoke escaped. So now it’s determining what is the safest method. Do you let it continue burning and let it burn itself out? "
Schumer wants to help on a couple of fronts. First, get the Environmental Protection Agency involved to ensure the safety of the air around the plant. Schumer also hopes the heft of the EPA can reach the owners of the plant, who abandoned the property about eight months ago.
“If they could find Attis, the EPA could say ‘you’re responsible, you have to fix this or there will be big fines.’ So that could happen,” said Schumer. “They have to find him and go after him in the process. Even the fact that Attis knows we are getting the EPA involved, it may bring them to the table as well.”
Schumer also says he’ll help locals find another buyer for the property that used to house the Miller Brewing Company before it closed in 1994. Michaels said the city has already started to market the plant to potential buyers.
“The county IDA, the County Legislature, Fulton, the Town of Volney, we’re working together to find the right fit, and find a company that wants to come in,” said Michaels. “We’re optimistic, there’s is interest in the building, we just have to move through this very deliberately.”
