“No Coal-to-Diesel” Forum planned November 1

The public is invited to a third in a series of public forums about the massive, proposed, Riverview Energy coal-to-diesel refinery in Dale. The forum will be Thursday, November 1, at 6:00 p.m. Central (7:00 p.m. Eastern) in the Heritage Hills High School Auditorium in Lincoln City, Indiana. T

he title of the event is “No Coal-to-Diesel Forum: Let’s Act to Save Our Health and Homes”.

Co-hosted by Southwestern Indiana Citizens for Quality of Life and Project ACORN, the event will feature the following speakers. Erin Marchand, MD, will share scientific facts about the harmful effects of the refinery’s toxic emissions on area children and families. Norma Kreilein, MD, FAAP, will focus on the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) and the Indiana State Board of Health (ISBH) and specifically their failure to monitor our air and address spikes in infant mortality, illness, and learning disabilities related to pollution. Jerry Steckler, local farmer and owner of Steckler Grassfed, will speak about the relationship farmers have with the land and the detrimental effect such a superpolluter will have on his adjacent farm and our region’s overall quality of life. Chemical engineer Randy Vaal will explain in layman’s terms the science of the refinery’s processes and his concerns about building such a massive industrial source of toxic emissions so close to a school, towns, and parks. President of the all-volunteer citizens’ group (SICQL) Mary Hess will offer an update on the refinery’s status, specific ways people can get involved, and the long-overdue need for cleaner, healthier jobs in the area.

The forum is for citizens wanting to learn facts about Riverview Energy’s plans that will affect the quality of life of of our region for generations to come. After the forum, the speakers will be available to privately answer questions and discuss citizens’ concerns. Here are brief bios of the featured speakers:

ERIN MARCHAND, MD

Dr. Marchand is a board-certified family medicine physician. She graduated from the Ohio State College of Medicine in 2008. After serving six years in the Air Force, she and her family moved to Dale, IN. She is currently practicing in Santa Claus. Dr. Marchand has read and studied Riverview Energy’s air quality permit in depth. She will share her findings and her concerns for area children who will be exposed to the refinery’s pollution.

JERRY STECKLER

Steckler Grassfed uses compost to reintroduce vital nutrients to the soil—no pesticides or herbicides are used—allowing a hearty crop of earthworms to repopulate the soil with nutrients the natural way. Using no antibiotics, no steroids, and no hormones, the farm became certified organic in 2007 with Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association (OEFFA). Located less than one mile from the proposed refinery, the farm provides meat, eggs, and dairy products from animals raised on the pasture. Jerry enjoys providing families with a local source for high-quality, nutritious food.

NORMA KREILEIN, MD, FAAP

A Ferdinand native and University of Notre Dame honors graduate, Dr. Kreilein is a board-certified pediatrician and a leading authority in identifying root causes of childhood illnesses. She challenges the integrity of Indiana’s government that routinely welcomes some of the nation’s most giant polluters to southwestern Indiana but refuses to install air monitors nor respond to related spikes in infant mortality, birth defects, cancer clusters, and special education rates double the national average. Her peer-reviewed, published research about Indiana government’s complicity in ignoring pollution-caused illness has earned her speaking engagements across the US and in Canada. She has testified before US congressional subcommittees and national and state medical panels. Her research is endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Medical Association, and the American Thoracic Society, which focuses on respiratory and critical care medicine.

RANDY VAAL

Vaal is a retired chemical engineer with an undergraduate degree from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology and a masters from the University of Houston. He spent several years as a chemical process engineer followed by over 30 years as an engineer in the oil and gas industry. He produced the world’s most successful software product to help manage oil and gas fields. He grew up in Ferdinand and now lives in Santa Claus. Randy has studied Riverview Energy’s air quality permit in depth. He will share his findings in the context of his experience in the field and his concerns for our region’s economics, health, and quality of life.

MARY HESS

Hess grew up in Tell City and now lives in Dale. She received her bachelor’s degree in education from Oakland City College. She was the first director of the Dale Community Center and retired from the US Postal Service after 30 years. She now works part time for Dale State Agency. She spends her free time in the woods and kayaking. “I love God’s creation,” she states, “and until a few months ago, I only quietly spoke my opinion about environmental issues in the surrounding area. It took something happening close to home to find my voice to speak up.”

Organizers are concerned the massive, $2.5 billion refinery, if built, would be built on 512 acres of farmland–larger than the core town of Ferdinand’s footprint, and about four times larger than the town of Dale itself. They contend the refinery would emit large amounts of pollution and the stench of rotten eggs in the area. “The fallout zone for dangerous vapors, chemicals, and particles will be far-reaching and game-changing for the region’s quality of life. It would affect regional residential property values and impact Holiday World, Lincoln State Park and Boyhood Memorial, Lincoln Amphitheatre, and other tourist attractions. It would also add exorbitant volumes of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere when the vast majority of independent, global climatologists warn of our need to immediately reduce greenhouse emissions to avoid long-term catastrophic effects for our children and future generations.”

Area media, parents, school administrators and teachers, legislators, candidates, tourism leaders, farmers, church leaders, and students are especially invited to attend. Fact sheets, petitions, postcards to legislators, yellow NO C2D lawn signs, and T-shirts will be available. Donations will also be accepted to help defray costs associated with what will be a long and sustained effort.

For more information, visit www.noc2d.com and Southwestern Indiana Citizens for Quality of Life on Facebook. Project ACORN, also on Facebook, is a Ferdinand-based, grassroots, community outreach program providing and supporting many music, art, environment, and wellness activities (132 since 2016) for all ages in the region. Visit https://www.facebook.com/NOC2D/ and https://www.facebook.com/ferdinandprojectacorn/.