Dover, DE — This afternoon, Sussex County Council staffers began turning away phone calls from Sussex County residents and activists who were calling to urge their Council members to “vote no” on the controversial Bioenergy scheme near Seaford. After advocates overwhelmed the County hearing in March with opposition to the project, the Council delayed their vote. Advocates look to the April 20th County Council meeting as the next possible opportunity for the scheme to be voted on. In the meantime, calls will continue.

From the outset of the process, advocates and impacted residents, united in their opposition, have had to fight for public hearings and transparent inclusion in the decision for a conditional use permit for the industrial facility. Bioenergy DevCo and the Planning & Zoning Commission had planned to proceed without any public input, until advocates won the opportunity for public oversight.

“Council members are elected representatives of the people — and they need to listen to those people,” said Nadia Zychal, a Sussex County resident and Food & Water Watch Volunteer. “Sussex County residents are clear in our opposition to this dangerous and dirty factory farm biogas plant. We don’t want this scheme anywhere, let alone in our backyards. Our Council members must restore our lines of communication and listen to our demands that they vote no on Bioenergy.”
“It was made perfectly clear from the beginning of this process that the county was not interested in public involvement,” said Maria Payan of the Sussex Health and Environmental Network and the Socially Responsible Agricultural Project. “It should come as no surprise that the county doesn’t want to hear from their constituents that they want them to know their opposition before they vote. This is not a permit comment. This is the public communicating with their elected officials.”

Contact: Phoebe Galt, Food & Water Watch, [email protected]

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