Cambrians for Thoughtful Development - Documents
This web page was last modified June 27, 2012 at 3:16 AM.
This web page was last modified June 27, 2012 at 3:16 AM.
The Cambrians for Thoughtful Development, UA ( CTD ) is a registered non–profit association of citizens who joined together in 2002, concerned about the impact of a proposed ethanol plant in their Village of Cambria, Wisconsin.
The CTD recognize that Cambria needs economic development. As a group however, we remain unconvinced that an ethanol plant anywhere near our village is the kind of economic development Cambria needs.
CTD worked to ensure that an open and public process was followed in permitting Didion's proposal. We ensured that many viewpoints were expressed and appropriate questions were asked before the Village voted on the fate of the proposed 2002 ethanol plant.
In the longer term, the CTD is interested in fostering a wider debate, including participatory planning for positive development in Cambria and encompassing the economic, environmental, social, and cultural spheres.
We have had many requests over the years for a timeline, a sort of thumbnail history of our activities and important milestones in the ever–evolving ethanol story here in Cambria. Here it is. I'll try to update this timeline as events transpire.
July 15th, 2009 graphic timeline
July 15th, 2009 textual timeline
John Domino, a plaintiff in the Federal Clean Water Act against Didion for wastewater violations, urging Village Board to stand tall for Cambria citizens when fining Didion for breaking terms of a developers agreement with a multitude of environmental violations.
…They did woefully violate that agreement and should be held accountable. If it were not for several dedicated citizens that only want to live in a community with clean air and water that these lawbreakers were held accountable. This company has complete disregard to the law and the community that facilitates their activities. They tried to undermine the citizens of Cambria by asking the state to settle their violations to avoid a loss in federal court and possibly lose federal contracts and the state agreed. That agreement also attempted to thwart citizen suits against Didions.
(note: John was unaware that the agenda had subsequently been modified to exclude Didion from the closed session.)
“WHEREAS, the Parties have initiated but not completed discussions on a negotiated resolution of the fee issue; and
WHEREAS, if the Parties cannot successfully negotiate resolution of the fee issues, the Court has jurisdiction to resolve this issue after the case is dismissed…”
2. If Plaintiffs have not filed a motion with the Court for a determination of the amount of their reasonable attorney’s fees and costs by June 25, 2010, the Court shall consider the fee issue resolved.
“The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources details more than 1500 separate air and water permit violations in their latest Notice of Violation issued to local milling operator and ethanol producer Didion Milling, Inc. ”
“Cambrians for Thoughtful Development, U.A. (CTD), through their attorneys at the law firm of McGillivray, Westerberg and Bender, filed an amended complaint in their ongoing Clean Air Act lawsuit against Didion Milling, Inc. and sister company Didion Ethanol, LLC. (Didion).”
September 19th, 2008 – The following updated model complaint form is compliments of Dallas:
Complaint form in Word format.
Complaint form in Portable Document Format.
Cambrians for Thoughtful Development (CTD), through their attorneys at the law firm of Garvey, McNeil, & McGillivray, have notified Didion Milling, Inc. (Didion) of their intentions to file suit for environmental violations in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin.
September 7th, 2006 – Re; Air Pollution Construction and Operation Permit Nos. 06–DCF–166 and 111081520–F01 – Letter from Wisconsin State Senator Miller to Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Secretary Scott Hassett expressing concern on behalf of citizens in Cambria about the Didion ethanol plant proposal.
A number of affected residents of the Village of Cambria have raised significant concerns regarding this development. Because of these concerns, please scrutinize the application carefully in order to ensure that all environmental standards are met not only in the construction of the plant but in its operation.
Residents of Cambria are concerned about the plant’s proximity to residential areas and to a school. They are concerned about the impact of (sic) another high capacity well might have on the village's water supply and the potential negative effects on public health if clean air and water standards are not ensured. Their concerns are heightened by past failures of the applicant to comply with the law.
In April of 2003 60% of the voters of Cambria voted NO on the ballot question of “Should Didion Milling be allowed to build an ethanol plant in or near the Village of Cambria?” With this clear signal from the public the Village denied the necessary zoning permits to Didion and added an ordinance banning the production of ethanol within the Village. Dow Didion came before the County Board at the regular meeting in July 2006 and pointed out clearly that ethanol plants need grain storage and offices, among other things, and that these were located in Cambria at their existing mill. With Didion's current plan, how can it be claimed that ethanol is not being produced in the Village of Cambria?
Air emissions are a issue critical in the siting of a facility such as the ethanol plant which Didion Milling, Inc. (DMI) proposes to build next to Cambria. It is my contention that ethanol plants, as currently regulated by both State and Federal law, emit pollutants in quantities which will result in adverse effects on people living in the vicinity of such plants.
As I sit on my lawn swing and watch my mares peacefully grazing in the pasture, their foals banded up in bunches, frolicking and playing and enjoying the evening’s cooler temperature, I think to myself, “I am so blessed.” As I notice one mare going to the spring–fed creek for a cool sip, reality sets in. All this could be gone, the peacefulness, the birds singing, the spring–fed creeks. It makes me sad to think about it.
My husband and I reside in Cambria. We were recently at the Columbia County Planning and Zoning meeting to protest the petition by Didion Milling to rezone tax parcel 108 in the Town of Courtland from Agricultural to Industrial for the purpose of building an ethanol plant. We were very upset to hear the decision of the committee to ok the Didion plan when they decided to delay the decision on the power company going through the farm land on the north side of Hwy 16. It seems they were more worried about protecting the cows from the power lines than they were the residents of Cambria.
…Resolved, that the Cambria Village Board of Trustees do hereby respectfully inform the various appropriate Boards of Columbia County of our strong opposition to the Didion Milling, Inc. application for permission to construct an ethanol production facility located on tax parcel I.D. number 108 in the Town of Courtland, and directly abutting the Village of Cambria.
I would encourage the board to defer any recommendation for rezoning until the June Town Board meeting. Word of this development in the Town was only made public last week through a newspaper article and as I understand a full description of the plan was only made available this morning to the public. Residents of Courtland have not had time to consider the specifics of Didion’s plan. In the interest of fairness to all I would ask that any decision be slowed down so that a through consideration of the costs and benefits can be weighed.
From the letter:
Many of us opposed to issuing the permits became convinced that Didion Milling wasn't doing the planning necessary to safely operate a plant here in the village. Didion Milling would offer only assurances that our concerns would be addressed after we gave them the required permits. It was a 'Catch 22' which most residents of Cambria wisely chose to reject by passing an advisory referendum against Didion's proposal. To those who still feel the need to assign blame for this rejection, I would point to Didion Milling's own failures in their dealings with the village of Cambria.
The Plan Commission was meeting to decide on a list of questions to pass on to an independent firm that the village board would contract to perform studies about the impact of the proposed plant. The idea had been floated at previous meetings that these studies should be funded by Didion. (editor’s note: as provided for under village zoning ordinances) Dow Didion, however, made it clear in a letter given to the Village Board last week, that they were “unwilling to do so.” Didion also said that the idea “that the board authorize the preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement for the project is a step never before taken in the state for an ethanol plant project.”
The proposal by Didion Milling of Cambria has spurred concerns about air quality, traffic and noise.
‘We need more information,’ was the repeated refrain from both board members and village residents, and the idea of putting the issue to a village–wide referendum, rather than leaving it in the hands of the village board, seemed to have a good deal of support.
On April 4th, 2005, the Village of Cambria board of trustees voted overwhelmingly in favor of an ordinance banning the industrial production of ethanol within the village.
June 2nd, 2003 at their regular monthly meeting, the Cambria Village Board of Trustees voted 5 to 2 to deny Didion Milling a zoning permit and to reject their permit application as incomplete.
May 15th, 2003 the Cambria Plan Commission voted unanimously to recommend the Village Board turn down Didion Milling's application to build an ethanol plant. Among reasons cited for not recommending a permit were the results of the advisory referendum on April 1st, the DNR denying Didion's application for 1000 gallon per minute well capacity, and Didion's failure to provide Village requested information from test wells.
I am asking the voters in the Village of Cambria to send a strong message to Didion by a "No" vote on the ethanol referendum question. This is "No" to a company that cannot follow the laws, yet lectures our hard-working Village Board to follow the laws. Enough is enough. Cambria, like most other communities, needs businesses and jobs but we need responsible businesses that live by the same sets of rules the rest of us have to live by.
100 Tons, What Do You Get? Another day older and deeper in debt. Saint Peter, can you stand that smell? We sold our souls to the Didion Mill!
Governor Jim Doyle said he did not understand why many communities are so concerned about ethanol plants. What doesn’t the governor understand, I wonder? Does he not understand that putting an ethanol plant next to a school is not such a good idea? Does he not understand why people in a village with a population of only 790 might not want another 112 trucks a day rolling through town, emitting diesel fumes and making the streets dangerous for children? Is it really such a strange notion that residents of Cambria are not excited about the $8,000 increase to the tax base that will come with Didion’s ethanol expansion? That’s only about $26 annually per household.
The plant would feature the latest technology and meet all DNR and EPA requirements, keeping emissions, noise and odor at/or near current levels. Increased traffic would be at a minimum and confined to daylight hours only.Everything at or near current levels? Even if this were remotely true, we were supposed to be happy with that? Be sure to look for our old friend, "56 million" * .
He has always been excited in Economic Development… Chester Stringfield wants to continue to be your Village Board President
The opponents of economic development have been exercising their right to free speech. Now it is YOUR turn to execute YOUR right to VOTE. Let your opinion be known. It is also your right not to disclose how you are going to vote to anyone if you choose. Don’t let anyone use scare tactics and threats to persuade your vote.
In comments made to Mayville Great 98 radio's news director, Scot Nue, Dodge County’s planning and development director, Dave Carpenter said that,
the biggest advantage to plant proposals in Randolph and Cambria is that they are unzoned towns, giving United Wisconsin Grain Producers and Didion Milling less red tape to cut through.
We are the red tape