The Carver Ruritan Club was the site of a community meeting on Feb. 21 to discuss ongoing issues that the neighborhood is experiencing due to the Teal-Jones wood processing plant.
Harrison Wicks, the general manager of the plant, as well as other staff members attended the meeting to hear their concerns and work to address them.
Residents met last year to discuss grievances with the facility. Since then, the company has worked to alleviate some of the issues, including addressing persistent loud noises coming from the plant during all hours of the night.
Wicks and his staff explained that the noise was coming from the barker, a piece of machinery that removes loose bark from timber. Since the last discussion, the plant decided to halt use of the barker at 10 p.m. However, the plant has been turning off the barker at 7 p.m. every evening. One resident suggested a brick sound barrier around the loud machinery to further dull the noise.
An issue that several residents noted is the debris on the road coming to and from the plant. This debris includes bark, wood chips, and mud. Management explained that they now have a truck that sweeps up the debris. They acknowledged that this method has been somewhat ineffective, as it just stirs dust into the air. They assured the public that they will begin spraying water on the asphalt before the truck sweeps to prevent any further spreading of debris. They also are looking for a liquid solution to maintain the dust.
The staff at Teal-Jones and the community both acknowledged that a good deal of the bark and mud on the road is the result of trucks leaving the plant. These truckers are not employed by Teal-Jones. Many are independent or work for a trucking company, so managing them poses a challenge. They are instructed to sweep the bed of their trucks prior to exiting the facility, but with no way to enforce the policy many truckers neglect to clean, leading to debris on the road.
Teal-Jones, a company based in Canada expanded to the United States in 2004. It has two production plants in Virginia, the other is located in Kinsale. Wicks said the company expanded to Virginia because of an ample supply of fiber and the local workforce. At the Martinsville location, the company processes 100% yellow pine. Because the company is conscious of the environment, it tries not to waste any of the byproducts of the lumber and repurposes it for fuel. It also has reforestation programs for properties that have been cleared of timber.
Teal-Jones put in an environmental permit request for a Title V, “a federal program designed to standardize air quality permits and the permitting process for major sources of emissions across the country.”
Van Drewery, who was among the residents attending the meeting, reviewed the results of this and found the company is not creating a concerning level of air pollution. He noted that under Title V, the Environmental Protection Agency will inspect the sawmill more frequently. The results of one inspection cited the company for dust emissions. Since then, that problem was alleviated, and emissions are within regulations.
Many residents were concerned about the billowing steam emitting from the factory, but the Teal-Jones staff and Title V results show that the steam was simply water vapor from drying wood chips.
There are still ongoing issues in regard to traffic on Carver Road, which the team at Teal-Jones are working to address. The company is working on a drawing that would involve a new entrance, moving scales, and paving more roads.
The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) also is looking into ways to make transit on Carver Road more efficient by widening the road or adding a spot for a U-turn.
The ongoing issues on Carver Road will take some time to fix, but Wicks said it would be done as soon as possible.
Drewery reminded residents that “they are not going anywhere, and you are not going anywhere, so we have to find a way to get along.”
