SUSSEX COUNTY, Del.- After receiving a special use exception from the Board of Adjustment to create a de-boning facility in Millsboro, Allen Harim is asking for the board to change part of its approval.
The poultry company is requesting one of two conditions the Board of Adjustment issued with its May approval. The condition states that the spray irrigation system to be used as part of the proposed use must be upgraded, approved, permitted, and operational before the facility is operational.
A spokesperson for Allen Harim tells WBOC the company found the condition restricting, and the company is working with the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control to find the best options for its wastewater. What's more, according to the spokesperson, the facility may produce so little wastewater that spray irrigation may not be necessary.
But longtime opponents of the de-boning plans worry what will happen if Allen Harim's request is approved.
"Harim has been wanting pretty much to do whatever it wants to do," says Keith Steck with Keep Our Wells Clean. "They are trying to get around it once again. We are going to object to it."
In the past, neighbors and concerned citizens told WBOC they found inconsistencies in presentations on the project, and worried the facility could negatively impact the Millsboro area. Attorney Andrea Green tells WBOC she filed a petition asking a court to overturn the Board of Adjustment's decision. The petition states the the board had a clear bias for Allen Harim and that opponents' testimony was not accurately represented in the minutes and Findings of Fact.
In their decision, the Board of Adjustment found that Allen Harim would provide any necessary safeguards for the area with the new facility. In the past, the company's CEO said the facility would provide over 150 jobs.
A copy of the Board of Adjustment's Findings of Fact and a petition against the decision can be found in the PDFs below.
