BS Ranch withdrew its request for approval of a revised operational permit before the Polk County Planning Commission Wednesday, The Ledger reports.
BS Ranch’s consultant alleged Polk County was trying to reopen a case it had already approved, according to the brief news report.
Polk County had originally approved the permit for the soil-manufacturing plant as an after-the-fact permit, as did state agencies.
However, it became clear that the PR tour Polk officials had received that led to the plant’s initial approval left out some important details about potential problems. These included odor and water pollution.
The conditions in the proposed recommendation for approval of the facility’s operation plan were intended to correct that oversight.
Meanwhile, there are still pending court cases to bring the facility into compliance, but so far Polk officials have been unable to legally force the company to cease operations.
The only thing the County Commission has been able to do is to repeal the special, less-rigorous development review of soil-manufacturing plants, but that will only apply to new applications, not to BS Ranch.
As Hardy said to Laurel, it’s fine mess they’ve gotten us into.