Call center for biomass complaints

ALACHUA – The residents of Turkey Creek will soon have the opportunity to report their complaints of the Gainesville Renewable Energy Center (GREC) biomass plant to a call center.

The funding for the call center was agreed upon in a City of Alachua commission meeting Monday, Nov. 4 to allow a place for those affected by the biomass plant to describe their issues.

The Biomass plant has had controversy surrounding it since it began running in August. Although it’s located in Gainesville, many of the residents of Turkey Creek in Alachua have experienced problems concerning the amount of noise the plant emits and are looking to the city to solve the issue.

By providing a call center, Alachua is trying to free up calls to officers about noise complaints from the plant, said Assistant City Manager Adam Boukari.

“It’s really a response to providing a more streamline approach to this and not taking officers off the street that respond to emergency situations,” Boukari said.

Alachua residents have been coming to the commission meetings since August to voice their concerns about noise and dust pollution coming from the plant. Officials from city governments and the county have been receiving complaints through phone and email.

“It was so loud last night, my four-year-old cried going to sleep,” wrote Gina Rone in an email to the county commission. “He said ‘that loud noise scares me, mommy.’”

When the biomass plant was being built, Turkey Creek resident Russ Pisano said they were assured they wouldn’t even know the plant was there.

GREC provides electricity through burning wood waste. Dust coming from the wood piles has caused workers of the nearby Alachua County Public Works compound to complain of irritated throats, eyes and difficulty breathing.

In addition to the call center, the meeting ended with the commission suggesting the city manager look into setting up a workshop to work on creating an effective noise ordinance.

“I would like to see a workshop first and foremost on any type of noise ordinance, because I am not for something that is so strict that it totally handcuffs the community, but at the same time, I do want something that will help protect our citizens as well,” said Commissioner Ben Boukari, Jr.

The call center will be put in place and functioning within the next week.

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