2 days ago
Rohnert Park plastics recycler faces lawsuit over plans to begin operations near school
An environmental group says it plans to sue a Sonoma County plastic recycling company that is set to ramp up operations in Rohnert Park.
Resynergi recently moved into a production plant on Valley House Drive, south of Camino Colegio in the southern portion of the city. The location is about 600 feet away from Credo High School.
The company plans to break down non-recyclable plastics using a microwave technology that doesn't burn the plastic, a process touted by Resynergi CEO Brian Bauer.
"The microwave technology that we use does an excellent job of mixing heat amongst the plastic flakes that go in and provides a really uniform temperature, giving very good yields and very clean result," said Bauer
But that very same microwave technology is what has some environmentalists and Credo High parents concerned.
"The microwave technology that they're touting is unproven," said parent Justin Flake. "There's nothing else that exists like this in the United States, and we don't want to be guinea pigs. We don't know why it needs to be right in the middle of a residential neighborhood."
The group California Communities against Toxins filed an "intent to sue" notice on Thursday, claiming Resynergi has violated the state Clean Air Act. It alleges the company failed to obtain legally required federal air quality permits before emitting pollutants into the surrounding community.
Resynergi was expected to receive approval from the Bay Area Air District early next week to begin operations, but the decision has been pushed back so the public can weigh in.
In the meantime, the company is offering public tours of its facility. Resynergi has operated a pilot plant in Santa Rosa since 2021; it says the exhaust from the plant is the same as that from a semi-trailer truck.
