PARK HILLS, Mo. (First Alert 4) - Residents around Park Hills, Missouri, have been asking questions of local officials after rumors of new operations at a former glassmaking facility which backs up to a number of local yards.

First Alert 4 has spoken with neighbors hoping to get more clarity on the future of the project happening behind them, as well as city officials about the details of this new program.

NEIGHBOR CONCERNS

First Alert 4 has spoken with and been ed by a number of locals who say they would like to see more transparency and have serious concerns about the safety of the environment around them, their water, and their backyards.

Locals say they were never ed with information about a possible new location for the waste services company Reworld Waste. The city says the potential new location could offer jobs and is part of a private transaction between the landholder and the company.

Loretta Boesing, a local resident and activist known for Unite for Safe Medications, told First Alert 4 that she was unaware of the potential plans until a Facebook post gained traction and many locals started talking to each other and asking questions.

Locals tell First Alert 4 they couldn’t get any answers about anything with the facility until reporters started asking questions.

Citizens say their research about Reworld’s history has raised concerns as well, under the former name of Covanta.

The City has responded to the concerns of citizens in a press release, with details about operations.

At the city council meeting scheduled for Tuesday night, the city planned to give a brief update on the situation.

FEB. 11 CITY COUNCIL UPDATE

City Zach Franklin provided an update and some clarity about the facility, its operations and addressed some community concerns.

Some highlights -- Franklin stated that Reworld and the City Council plan to have an open discussion with the town sometime next month. This direct could happen at a future city council meeting, with representatives of Reworld present. He says the city and Reworld want to have communication with residents.

Franklin also provided some clarity on the facility itself. He says the former glass factory is privately owned, zoned industrial and will need to meet Missouri Department of Natural Resource requirements before any operation can take place. Because it’s privately owned, the city’s role in the entire situation is one of oversight.

They’ve partnered with St. Louis-based environmental consulting firm KimHEC to work on local regulations, something Kim Cole told First Alert 4 she feels is very proactive of the city. Franklin says this will help provide more local legal authority on the facility.

The city says only a portion of the large factory facility will be operated by Reworld, and there’s possibilities other portions of the facility could be used for other uses -- operating as a mixed use facility.

You can watch the entirety of Franklin’s remarks, and the city council meeting below. His comments start about 10:45 into the video:

The Fire Chief spoke about fire concerns, and the sprinklers at the facility. His remarks start around 20:46 in the above video.

REWORLD’S INFORMATION ON FEB. 11

Reworld offered some new details Tuesday, included as part of a Facebook post from the City:

“The complete FAQ document is available for viewing or ing by CLICKING HERE: https://docs.google.com/viewer...," the city posted today. “For questions or concerns, please City Hall during regular business hours at 573-431-3577.”

More information on meetings can be found on the Park Hills website.

This story is a product of the Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk, an independent reporting network based at the University of Missouri in partnership with Report for America, with major funding from the Walton Family Foundation. The Nature Conservancy and American Rivers also receive Walton funding.

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