Wilbros Hearing Underway This Morning

A hearing on a request from Stephens County and the other plaintiffs in a civil suit against the Wilbros facility asking a judge to shut the facility down is underway.

It started this morning in Stephens County Superior Court.

The purpose of the hearing is to consider a motion from the Plaintiffs for Contempt to determine if Wilbros has complied with existing court orders and to reconsider the motion filed by the Plaintiffs for a preliminary injunction to shut the facility down pending a trial on the civil suit.

Speaking for the plaintiffs, attorney Don Stack said that Wilbros has not increased its carbon to nitrogen ratio, sent raw waste materials directly to the wastewater treatment pond without processing, had not functioning equipment in some cases, had too much moisture in the compost piles, and continued a repeated pattern of misinformation and inconsistent information.

Stack said all of these go against previous court and Environmental Protection Division orders.

He added that these problems are not new and says enough is enough.

However, Wilbros’ attorney Steven Gilliam said that he intends to show Wilbros has done what it has been ordered to do and met all necessary requirements.

Gilliam said Wilbros has spent $2.2 million in making improvements and disputes Stack’s allegations regarding non-compliance.

As of late this morning, testimony was underway.