ADRIAN, MI (Toledo News Now) -
A forum was held Monday night in Adrian for
the public to learn about work that has begun on an oil processing plant on
city land.
The forum was held by the Adrian Dominican
Sisters, who are concerned the plant, along with another operation in Heritage
Park, is polluting and harming the environment.
Both plants are owned by Savoy Energy.
The company is currently making their second
attempt to strike oil at Heritage Park, while also preparing for a processing
plant on Witt Farm, adjacent to Heritage Park. There, oil would be piped in and
separated from water and natural gas. The survey work has already begun.
"We are a mile away from the proposed site,"
said Sister Elise Garcia, speaking of the Dominican Sisters' campus. "Sure, we
have some concerns, but I think our concerns are really for the larger good of
the entire city, and really the whole community of life in Adrian."
The sisters are worried about pollution of
the air and water at the sites, but they are not the only ones with concerns.
"Anything that spills on the surface will
find its way into the groundwater and be very close to the Beaver Creek, which
is a tributary of the River Raisin," said Dr. Tom Wassmer, a professor at Siena
Heights University. "So it would be very quickly in the groundwater."
And Dr. Victoria Powell, D.O., said the
drilling could cause irritated eyes and respiratory problems for people.
Adrian City Commissioner Tom Faulhaber
admitted there are concerns, but said Savoy Energy has assured them the plant
will be run in a safe manner that won't endanger anyone's health.
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