The Wellington Planning Commission had a packed meeting earlier this month, with over 50 people stuffed in the town’s small library to discuss a proposed asphalt plant.
Zero residents spoke in favor of the proposed hot-mix asphalt plant during the meeting. The commission delayed a vote on the plant supposed to take place at that meeting until June to allow the company behind the proposed plant, Connell Resources, more time to produce an air dispersion modeling report.
Wellington resident Nancy Mckay spoke up at the meeting, though. She wanted a decision on the plant that night.
“I do not believe that they need more time to find out what their business is about and what they're putting into the air,” Mckay said in reference to Connell Resources.
Some Wellington residents are working to prevent the plant operators, Connell Resources, from breaking ground on the plant. They’re concerned about toxic chemicals emitted from the plant polluting the air in their neighborhoods. One argument they have put forward is a desire for the city to nix the proposed plant using existing rules that prevent companies that produce toxic chemicals from building near residential areas.
Eric Sartor is chair of the planning commission. He acknowledged the crowd’s anger during the public meeting.
“I appreciate you all coming up. These are still a lot of the same comments. I guess I can't reiterate enough that we've seen and heard these all and we are listening. I promise we are,” Sartor said.
A representative from the commission did not reply to KUNC’s request for comment.
This isn't the only effort of its kind in Northern Colorado—KUNC investigative reporters also covered residents' pushback against air pollution near Rocky Mountain Regional Airport in March.
People in Wellington have more than one concern about the plant, including diminished property values and increased traffic and noise.
To prevent the plant’s construction, some residents at the meeting were trying to use a town zoning rule. Ayla Leistikow lives near the proposed site and she’s working to organize her neighbors against the plant.
“I started kind of digging into this and trying to figure out what happened and how—how this was so easy for this asphalt plant to kind of get what they want,” Leistikow said.
The land where the plant would go technically falls under zoning rules that prohibit construction near residential areas. But the town board relaxed the rules in this case, giving Connell Resources enough space to build their plant. That’s left residents like Leistikow concerned.
“We don't have information about the levels of the toxins expected surrounding a facility like this, or how that changes with distance,” Leistikow said.
Emissions from asphalt plants could affect people's health. There aren't many recent studies on asphalt plant emissions in the U.S. but a 2007 study by the U.S.Department of Health and Human Services found that asphalt plants produce significant particulates and dust, which are especially harmful to children and people with respiratory issues. The study pointed out some technologies could be used to reduce some of those hazards.
John Warren, president of Connell Resources, said modern technologies— put into use more recently than some older studies on emissions— render the emissions from his plant safe. Or, at least, no less safe than car exhaust.
“99.9% of our emissions come from the heating associated with drying the aggregates, and in our case, we use natural gas,” Warren said. “I mean, it's automobile exhaust—it has the same characteristics as those properties.”
To stop the project, opponents want to show the planning commission that the plant would produce toxic chemicals. Warren continues to push back on this.
“That's all we're producing, that final material to pave on driveways and roads and parking lots. And it's considered nonhazardous,” Warren said.
But the exhaust from asphalt plants does contain detectable amounts of toxic emissions. The Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment found Connell Resources in violation of a state emissions test at least once before, in 2021. Hazardous emissions at an asphalt paving material plant in Fort Collins were found to be above the state maximum during a test. Connell Resources paid a $7,000 fine and came into compliance.
Connell Resources, for its part, has agreed to several optional environmental tests to show good faith toward Wellington residents. The company is going so far as to install groundwater monitoring wells on the site, even though there is no evidence the plant will interact with groundwater in any way.
But neighbors like Leistikow aren’t convinced.
“It doesn't matter how far they go, how toxic they are, they just have to be toxic, and they just have to be produced,” Leistikow said.
The Wellington Planning Commission’s next meeting on the subject is June 5 at 6:30 p.m. in the Leeper Center and will also be accessible via Zoom.
