CATAWBA, S.C. — York County Councilmember William "Bump" Roddey, who also works at New Indy Containerboard's Catawba plant, said the facility's management will make sure a foul odor affecting thousands of people will be eliminated.
New Indy Containerboard faces multiple legal orders from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and South Carolina's Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC), who are demanding the mill change its paper process to eliminate high levels of hydrogen sulfide, which, regulators allege, is causing the foul odor.
Councilmember Roddey is the first plant employee to talk about the odor investigation to WCNC Charlotte.
He's a chemical and pulping specialist, and he's worked at the mill for nearly 25 years, back when it was first called Bowater.
"I know the guys who are running the facility," Councilmember Roddey said. "Great group of individuals. They're going to do all they can to make sure this, not just goes away, but is handled properly."
Both agencies have given the company multiple deadlines to lower hydrogen sulfide levels with the first set of deadlines arriving early next week.
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"We don't want to because that puts people out of work, but if they don't do what they need to do, then that is one possible step," Dr. Simmer said. "We can also fine them, but I think shutting them down would probably be the final step if we had to."
Despite it being a final step, Councilmember Roddey said simply the threat of a shutdown made him and his co-workers nervous, and he asked people affected by the odor to be patient.
"A lot of livelihoods depend on those hundreds of jobs that are at that facility," Councilmember Roddey said. "The smell didn't come overnight, and it probably won't leave overnight."
Contact Brandon Golder at bgoldner@wcnc.com and follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.