Athens City Council meets next on Jan. 8.

The Athens City Council faced tough criticism during the public comment portion of Monday night’s meeting. The criticism stems from the decision by the council in December 2020 to de-annex over 80 acres of land located directly west of 18544 Moyers Road as requested by Grayson Carter & Son Contracting.

In 2020, homeowners next to and near the property voiced opposition while Tim Morris, project manager for Grayson Carter & Son told the council that the company wanted to be good neighbors.

“We ask that you accept on good faith we will reach out to those neighbors and try to come to some terms of agreement,” Morris said in 2020.

Monday night, Jean Hilliard, who opposed the de-annexation in 2020 did not hold back about the new asphalt facility proposed for the 80 acres.

“I am sure you are aware that Grayson Carter & Son are already building a not yet permitted asphalt plant to the west of my home,” Hilliard said.

The News Courier reached out to the company to ask about the complaint that the plant was “not yet permitted.” Randy Thomason, Chief Financial Officer for Grayson Carter & Son, said they are currently only doing ground level work, which is permitted.

“We got the permit needed to the prepare the ground for it and do the surface level stuff,” Thomason said.

He added there is a second permit they will need from the Alabama Department of Environmental Management that he referred to as the air permit.

“I want to clarify on that we have not gone vertical with that plant whatsoever. There are no components of the asphalt plant that have even been delivered. None of that is on site at all. So, everything we’ve done has been surface level,” Thomason said. “Before we can even erect the building, we have to have that air permit.”

Hilliard also alleged that dirt has been “illegally moved” from the land by Grayson Carter & Son. No one from the company commented at the meeting, but Thomason told The News Courier on Tuesday that excavating the dirt on that land was permitted in 2018.

“From 2018 to 2020, dirt was continually illegally removed from this land by Grayson Carter & Son. This dirt aided the City of Athens in building the new Athens High School and the new Athens Elementary. Grayson Carter & Son also used the dirt in the building of Athens Bible School. They were doing it illegally the entire time,” Hilliard said.

The News Courier was able to verify the site was permitted through ADEM in 2018. Thomason said they are one of the few state licensed dirt pits in the area and the only one in Limestone County.

“As a part of that whole process we had to study archeological impact, wildlife impact, biological impact,” Thomason said.

Keith Hilliard spoke of concerns about environmental and health issues that could result from an asphalt plant and the hazardous waste it could emit.

“There are extremely strict regulations and rules that are imposed by ADEM and federal agencies. One of the things you have to get is an air permit from ADEM for that very purpose: To ensure that the facility that you’re putting up, the equipment that you’re going to use, and procedures that you’re going to have in place are strong enough to avoid the air being contaminated,” Thomason said.

Neighbor after neighbor from both city and county land spoke out against the council’s decision to de-annex the property and asked them to please help.

William Barber, who retired two weeks ago after serving 22 years in the United States Army, asked, “Do you want this in your backyard? Do you want these contaminants in your backyard? Do you want your children, my grandchildren breathing in these contaminants? Having to deal with the smell, the trucks, the noise? Do you want that in your backyard? Do you want to serve 45 years of your life to retire to an asphalt plant? That’s what you’ve done to me and what you did to the Hilliards. We don’t appreciate it. Put it back in the area where it belongs, not in my backyard.”

Thomason said that even though people may think living near a plant will cause contamination, they are regulated and not as much of a concern as people assume.

“There are numerous national studies that show these asphalt plants, while people may think they are so harmful to us, even living in close proximity to an asphalt plant, studies just do not show that there’s any adverse affects from a health stand point,” Thomason said.

The council adjourned Monday night without commenting to the residents publicly, but several council members spoke directly to several residents during the work session and regular meeting.

This is a developing story and will be updated as more information is available.