The county Board of Commissioners must make a difficult decision on Monday night, and the only certainty is someone will leave the meeting unhappy.
The commissioners for the second time are fielding a request for a conditional-use permit that Eric T. Locklear, president of Bio-Solutions LLC, needs to operate a biodiesel manufacturing facility on a fraction of a 10-acre tract on Kessie Drive that his family owns. The commissioners originally denied the request, but Locklear appealed to the county Board of Zoning and won after he provided additional information that allayed concerns. That board, which is comprised of commissioners wearing a different hat, then bounced the issue over to Board of Commissioners, which has the final call.
The problem is that the land leans up against Purnell Swett High School and a residential neighborhood. Opponents have organized and will be in full throat on Monday.
They say that methanol and glycerin, two chemicals in the biodiesel recipe, are flammable and would create a health hazard. They worry about the facility making it difficult to acquire homeowner’s insurance and declining property values. There are about 1,700 other concerns — the approximate number of students who attend Purnell Swett and whose safety must be guaranteed.
Locklear, who boasts multiple degrees and experience in the industry, argues that the threat is being exaggerated and that the facility’s footprint would be modest. He says no more than 270 gallons of biodiesel would be produced in a single day, and that there would never be more than 1,000 gallons stored on site. He plans on delivering the product, which provides an energy savings to consumers, and that there would not be incoming traffic.
Biodiesel is an emerging green technology, one that needs to be championed, and the county Board of Commissioners is duty bound, in our opinion, to promote commerce when reasonable.
But there is a reason that Locklear needs a conditional-use permit: Such a facility is banned from the area by zoning because it doesn’t blend in well with what’s already there. So the burden should fall heavily on Locklear to convince the commissioners that his facility would not be a safety hazard, and that its presence would not be a wart on the face of the community.
If Locklear can’t meet that muster, a hard decision for the county commissioners should become easy.
Did they show you the business plan? If not you don't know all the facts. If you did you wouldn't make Mr. Locklear out to be the bad person. Mr. Locklear is trying to make/sell the biodiesel for school buses and farmers. He is trying to help people in Robeson County. A safe, clean, non toxic fuel! Kids can breathe fresh air while riding on the bus when fueled with biodiesel. Do you realize just how toxic fumes coming from the schools buses fueled with current diesel is? If you did you would understand why Mr. Locklear is trying to bring a green fuel to Robeson County. You can't say that about the gasoline and diesel you run in your cars today. As long as your riding you don't think about where that fuel was made or how safe it is. You only care that your riding. Have you ever though about how dangerous your own car is to drive and fill up with fuel? It's not about making money. You don't make much money off the sale of biodiesel especially when your selling to the Schools. They already get their diesel cheap. And his operation was very small. You should leave him out of politics. He has nothing to do with that from what others close to this project has informed me of, and its not fair of you to make incorrect accusations without proof. That's called gossip. In my opinion gossip is the main stain of Robeson County. If he was involved with politic's do you think he would have dropped the permit? I think not. Since you have so much negative to say about Robeson County Politics you should run for public office since your so adamantly assured that you can do better. This is a young educated man trying to bring something back to the county and community and all you are doing is belittling him. As a educator of the Public School system I support him. Talk down about him now, but once he starts selling this fuel, making your kids lungs healthier, and saving you tax dollars you will be thanking him. I sure know I will be.
What a sad commentary - it is difficult for me to imagine how those who do not tell the truth are able to sleep at night or look themselves in the mirror. How refreshing it would be to have someone come forth who is honest and "set an example" for others.