Staff Report
	WBNS-10TV EYEWITNESS NEWS © 2002 WBNS-TV, Inc.

The owners that want to turn the south Columbus factory into a tire-melting plant, heard much criticism from nearby residents Thursday night.

The plant on Frank Rd. was once a trash burning operation. It opened in 1983, burning trash to generate electricity. But it was identified as the nation's largest producer of dioxin, an agent that could cause cancer.

Complaints helped close the plant in 1994 and the debt it created for the city won't be paid off until the year 2017.
Now, a California company wants to operate there to liquefy tires.

On Thursday night residents who live near the controversial plant talked directly to the people who want to move in. They want assurances that the plant won't hurt their health.

"There's not going to be any odors, and the emissions there will be a small amount of emissions. Bottom line everything that goes up in the air you lose money," said Jeff Troth the owner and the President of Universal Purifying Technology.

If the EPA gives the California company the required permits, the owner says he would melt 10-thousand tires a day, and produce enough emissions equal to 5 cars running a year.

Universal Purifying Technology says it will invest about 11 million dollars into the plant, including adding pollution controls to make residents happy.

But people are not happy, they haven't forgotten the last business that was here and the health issues they continue to live with today.

The owner hopes he'll get final approval from the EPA to melt tires before Christmas.

Initially, the company plans to hire about 20 people.