COLUMBIA, Md. — It may be a long night for Howard County Council as health and safety concerns keep the fight alive for a coalition of neighbors hoping to stop a proposed pilot project.
100 people are signed up to speak about a new bill that would limit W.R. Grace's efforts to research a "potentially game-changing innovation for recycling plastic."
More than half are expected to speak in favor of bill ZRA-211 introduced by district four Councilmember Deb Jung, that would stop the facility from following through with the project via zoning laws.
With the sheer volume of interest, it's anticipated Tuesday night's meeting will continue into a second day.
In 2024, the facility applied to the Maryland Department of the Environment for a permit to pursue the project, that would test and refine a new process to recycle plastic.
MDE is now "carefully considering" public comments and has not yet made a final determination.
Though the company states the project will not impact "the health or wellbeing of our local community or the employees" homeowners in the surrounding neighborhoods say the concern about chemical emissions remains.
Some believe the information presented at face-value by the company is misleading and a form of "greenwashing," a practice that makes an activity appear to be more environmentally friendly than it is.
"It scares us," Mahima Jain said.
"For the first few months, it seemed like, 'oh, we could be good neighbors' and then after that, all hell broke loose," Shamieka Preston said.
Preston has a home in the Cedar Creek neighborhood that borders the facility's property line. She says the closest home in the neighborhood is a little more than 200 feet away.
Seeing it every single day causes her stress and anxiety about the future.
"My home is already sitting on a site of Grace cleanup. And I want to know how much more we're expected to take from Grace in the name of them doing scientific research. It feels like as a community, we've had enough," Preston said. "We're not trying to stunt their development. We just don't want it here," she added.
More than 700 people have signed a petition hoping to stop the project.
"There are more than 150 kids, I believe, who live in this community and they’re all at such tender age we cannot at any cost expose the kids to such chemicals," Jain said. "It really scares [me] to even think that a few months or a few years down the line might not be in a situation to really walk out, let our kids play outside in the open environment and enjoy the life which they deserve.”
The bill, and the ongoing collaborative efforts of outspoken neighbors helps make Jain feel hopeful.
Preston says it's a step in the right direction.
"I hope that the health and well-being of families, especially children and other vulnerable populations, outweigh what Grace wants to do," she said.
The company has strongly opposed the proposed bill, releasing the following statement:
Grace is proud to be headquartered in Howard County and to contribute to its scientific and economic legacy by conducting meaningful, safe and properly permitted R&D at our world class facility for more than 60 years. With this new project, we will not burn plastic, as some who misunderstand our project and our intentions have asserted. Rather, we are studying a potentially game-changing innovation for recycling plastic – a safe and effective way to solve a problem facing us all. If passed, this ZRA would set a harmful precedent that would repel institutions and employers away from Howard County. The Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) process is designed specifically to evaluate the safety of projects like ours, and we are committed to faithfully and fully following that process.
A final vote is scheduled for Monday, March 3rd.
To watch Tuesday night's Legislative Public hearing that begins at 7 p.m. click here.
