Ask Youngstown's Mayor Brown and City Council: We need independent study on the SOBE proposal

Did you know that there's a proposal to build a plant that heats recycled tires and plastics to make plastic pellets and steam as a byproduct right in the heart of downtown Youngstown, Ohio? In 2022? Did you know that the process they propose is unproven and possibly toxic? Do you know what other dangers this plant may bring to our neighbors?

No one knows - not the company itself, not Mayor Tito Brown, not Youngstown City Council, and neither do we. And what we don't know can hurt us in Youngstown - We need more info, and from trusted experts!

Sobe Energy Solutions is RUSHING to demolish the old Youngstown Thermal plant and begin building this project - even though they do not currently have the correct permits to begin. We must demand they stop this project before we have a chance to find out if this process is safe, especially for a populated area.

We're asking our elected officials to demand a halt to demolition of the existing Youngstown Thermal infrastructure and create an independent, publicly accessible audit of the technology using qualified, independent scientific and environmental protection experts and to share the results in a public forum so that we may have adequate time and information for understanding the impact of this project in our community.

Just because Youngstown used to be a haven for air, water, and land polluters doesn't mean we have to be today or tomorrow.

We cannot stand by and let this plant -- with its false promises of jobs (only 20 in Youngstown) -- be built without knowing if it will poison our community. We want health and safety for all our downtown residents and visitors, including our vulnerable community members in nearby Mahoning County Jail our local businesses, and all who live and play in the Valley.

We cannot accept statements by the consultant for SOBE Energy Solutions telling us this process is safe without any facts or proof given. At the July 21st Youngstown City Council Utilities meeting, SOBE CEO David Ferro showed a marketing PowerPoint presentation to city council members, but no hard data on the health and safety measurements. The public need data about what exactly this super-heating of plastics and tires will emit into our air.
It is far too risky to allow this operation to begin without research, especially near the new housing for YSU students, the jail, minority residences, minority-owned local businesses, our main fire station, and only blocks away from our re-vitalized downtown.


Just to give you a sense of how grave this situation is - on July 14, 2022, 35 U.S. Congressmembers demanded the US EPA establish strict regulations of this new process and these businesses that have recently been locating in disadvantaged communities all across the U.S.A. Given this mass, national effort to regulate this unregulated industry, we must be especially cautious in our movements forward.

Please send these letters today and share this campaign with your friends.

Letters are great! And...if you have capacity - call the Mayor's office and leave a message demanding an independent audit and public hearing on SOBE: (330) 742-8701

Thank you!

Follow Sustainable Youngstown for more info on this campaign. Email sustainableyoungstown@gmail.com if you'd like to be more involved or have questions.

Here's some information on the proposal, community concerns, and science behind plastics recycling:

WYTV July 21, 2022 "Residents want more information on company taking over Thermal Plant"

"The myth of making fuel from plastics: Busted"