Dressed in red for solidarity, residents filled seats for two nights of testimony last week in front of the Howard County Council, pleading with them to pass a bill that would stop a chemical company from conducting plastic recycling in a proposed Columbia facility.

More than four hours of passionate testimony over the nights of Feb. 18 and Feb. 19 came from residents of Cedar Creek, the village of River Hill and other areas in Columbia that are near W.R. Grace & Co.’s headquarters. W.R. Grace employees also testified.

“This county’s success has always been built on striking a balance … between progress and preservation, innovation and responsibility. This project, despite all the assurances of theoretical safety, poses a level of risk that threatens to disrupt this delicate balance,” resident Jeff Dwyer said.

Community members have been raising concerns for months about the company’s proposed pilot facility that would test a catalytic chemical conversion method for recycling plastic near residential areas. Some homes are as close as 70 meters from the facility.

CB11-2025, a zoning bill introduced by council member Deb Jung that would prohibit businesses from conducting research and development activities that produce certain pollutants, is the latest tool in the fight.

In September 2023, the Maryland Department of the Environment received an air quality permit application from W.R. Grace to construct the facility that, according to a W.R. Grace employee, would convert plastic pellets into gases and liquids. The MDE said it is carefully considering public comment on the draft permit and has yet to reach a final determination.

According to a W.R. Grace scientist, the process at the facility would involve plastic pellets that are fed into what is like a slow cooker where the plastics are broken down into smaller molecules with pressure and heat. Then, the molecules will exit to a thermal oxidizer, which is like a furnace, where water and carbon dioxide are released, the scientist said.

Jung’s bill adds laboratory research and development use to the Planned Employment Center zoning district, the type of zone in which W.R. Grace is located. However, it would prohibit the use of commercial plastic pellets or feedstock that produce flue gas and require state permits. The bill amends a previous Zoning Regulation Amendment worked on by Cedar Creek residents and the homeowners association, as well as River Hill community members, that would have required a 1,800-foot setback for the project.

W.R. Grace has assured the public that the project is safe via the company’s website and employee testimony, yet residents remain skeptical and frustrated with a lack of direct communication.

“And in terms of this particular thing, there has been no communication, no transparency, the timing, all of that is suspect,” said Leonard Boyd, who can see into the W.R. Grace facility from his home. “I gave them the benefit of the doubt when I bought my house but now here it’s also demonstrated that they’re not a good actor.”

Boyd said the two problematic issues with the facility are proximity and trust. Many of the 148 people who signed up to testify Feb. 18 shared similar concerns. As that day’s meeting came to a close after 11 p.m., the list was down to just over 70 people who would have to return the next day for a continued session.

The speakers on Feb. 18 ranged from a 3-year-old child to a senior at River Hill High who shared their fears of living close to the W.R. Grace campus if an accident happens, their worries about negative health impacts when they want to play outside, and other concerns for their families.

Other residents, some of whose backyards border a black fence put up by W.R. Grace, shared similar concerns regarding the potential health and environmental impacts of toxic emissions from burning plastic. Many said they moved to Columbia for its consistently high rankings as a top place to raise a family but are now worried that the pilot facility would no longer make it a safe area.

“Approving this project sets a dangerous precedent, opening the door for other hazardous facilities under the guise of research and development. This is not an anti-business bill. It’s a pro-community, pro-health, pro-environment bill. If W.R. Grace wants to innovate, they can do so in a location that does not put families at risk,” said AmiCietta Clarke, a River Hill resident.

Several others referenced W.R. Grace’s history of lawsuits involving asbestos exposure and settlements with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for environmental cleanup of hazardous Superfund sites in the U.S. Baltimore City is also involved in litigation against W.R. Grace and several other plastics companies.

The testimony on Feb. 19 included similar worries from more neighbors, while W.R. Grace employees who offered facts and figures, broke down what they said were misunderstandings and reassured the public that the facility is safe.

W.R. Grace would not burn plastics at the facility, and the gas produced cannot contain PFAS, known as forever chemicals, benzene or other heavy chemicals that residents are concerned about, said Robert Harding, who works in research and development at the company. Several employees emphasized the company’s commitment to safety and explained that certain emissions from the facility would be less than those of cars driving short distances.

“Misinformation and blatant falsehoods emanating from those in opposition to our project have led to this, the weaponization of the zoning process, specifically targeting this project and penalizing one company, its employees and its customers,” said Scott Purnell, vice president of research and development for W.R. Grace.

Resident Aidan Morrell said he appreciated “finally seeing them acknowledge this issue and engage the community” at the meeting. A consistent frustration among community members was the lack of direct communication from the company about their plans throughout the process, which Morrell said makes it “impossible not to be skeptical.” Residents discussed finding out about the project a day before an MDE public hearing in April or hearing about it through the neighborhood app Nextdoor.

Sharyn Nerenberg, vice president of communications for W.R. Grace, said the company’s intention was to follow the prescribed MDE process, providing notice through ads in the Howard County Times, the opportunity for a public hearing and other required steps. The company felt it was important to follow MDE’s steps and avoid being disingenuous “while temperatures were high,” and looks forward to future community collaboration, Nerenberg said.

Residents were clear that they aren’t against innovation and research, they just don’t want the facility to operate so close to their homes. And with federal funding frozen for MDE’s air pollution monitoring, residents are left wondering how the air quality around them would be tracked.

“I do not want to see the business fail, what I want to see is the business evolve. Howard County is growing, our communities are changing, and our zoning laws must reflect that change,” said Antoinette Crockrell, a Cedar Creek resident.

The County Council is set to vote on the bill on March 3.

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