The County City Council of Springfield, which operates an adjacent wastewater facility, will vote November 16th on whether it will agree to a contract with DRT. Opposition, however, is growing among local residents over the impact the potential deal would have on the nearby Ebenezer Creek.
DRT’s plant is designed to convert crude sulfate turpentine—a pulp mill byproduct—to rosin and turpentine oil for specialty products like perfumes, adhesives, and chewing gum. The mix-up came about because Springfield did not control the zoning of the facility, which was actively recruited and incentivized by Effingham Industrial Authority. Springfield City Manager Brett Bennett told Savannah Now that DRT broke ground without first securing a pretreatment permit despite being cautioned that the city would not sign a wastewater treatment contract without the permit.