Neighbors to Meet with IDEM Official about VIM Recycling

by Ed Ernstes (ernstes@wsbt.com)

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Neighbors to Meet with IDEM Official about VIM Recycling

By Beth Boehne

Story Created: Sep 4, 2007 at 3:12 PM EST

Story Updated: Sep 7, 2007 at 6:24 AM EST

(WSBT) Neighbors living near a controversial recycling plant in Elkhart are stepping up their fight against the company's plans to rebuild.

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In June, a massive fire at VIM Recycling killed one employee and injured another.

Since then, nearby homeowners have been raising health and safety concerns.

Now, neighbors are planning a meeting, this time, with a top state environmental official.

Michael Aylesworth is with the northern office of the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM).

He spoke at the county commissioners’ meeting to advise them he would be holding a public meeting to discuss the situation at VIM Recycling, and invited them to attend the meeting, along with concerned neighbors.

“No one has told me to do this, but I think the neighbors have a right to another meeting, to know what's going on as we try to follow through to make sure they are aware out there what we are trying to do to get it into conformance and cleaned up,” explained Aylesworth at the meeting.

IDEM controls the permits needed to rebuild the operation following the fire — an operation some homeowners don't want in their neighborhood.

"I don't figure there's any way, any way that we can accept this business in our neighborhood,” said Dennis Freel at the county commissioners’ meeting.

"Somebody needs to get out here and do something with these people, not let them continue to do what they are doing, in ruining our lives out there,” said Gerald Hart, another concerned neighbor.

"I think it’s a very dangerous place, and our neighborhood, we have been burdened by this,” explained Annette Freel at the meeting, who also lives by the VIM plant.

The company says it is very mindful about neighbors’ concerns about the operation, and adds it is taking a very thorough step by step approach in re-building.

“VIM isn't going to be the same company coming out of this fire,” VIM spokesperson Tom Holt told WSBT News. “There are going to be a lot of advisors and consultants to make sure things like this don't happen again."

IDEM will host a meeting Tuesday, September 11, to discuss concerns about VIM Recycling. It will be held at 7 p.m. at Jimtown North Elementary.

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