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Mayor: “Fingers Crossed” For New Railroad Tie Treating Facility
June 10, 2010
Century officials remain hopeful that a railroad crosstie treatment facility will locate in the former Alger-Sullivan Lumberyard, eventually bringing a couple of hundred of jobs to the area.
“I’ve got fingers crossed it is going to work,” Century Mayor Freddie McCall said. “I hope we are going to have a big ribbon cutting soon and a big celebration.”
McCall said the company plans to use a biodegradable treatment method for the railroad ties to extend their life to “100 years” and make them fireproof. “It’s so safe you can drink it,” the mayor said of the chemical process to be used to treat the railroad ties.
Back in March, McCall told the Century Town Council that there was “something on the horizon” for the old lumber mill, and that he had already expected an announcement. In April, he said the company had experienced “a couple of snags in their paperwork,” but that he was confident that everything was on track for an announcement.
McCall said this week that the company would initially create 25 jobs, with 200 expected to be employed within a few years.
Representatives of Century Lumber and Land, LLC, a Florida limited liability corporation founded in December, 2008, have said they intend to purchase and rehabilitate the facility, but they have declined to provide further details.
The 38 acre property was last sold in early 2006 to DMT Holdings, LLC in Navarre, according to the Escambia County Property Appraiser’s online records. The facility includes five buildings totaling just over 300,000 square feet, according to the property appraiser. The buildings on the property range in age from 11 to 54 years,with the largest 160,150 square foot building constructed in 1972.
Comments
30 Responses to “Mayor: “Fingers Crossed” For New Railroad Tie Treating Facility”
Wow, so much negativity! This article says this is a safe product. Why not get more information on the product and company before you railroad them right over into Alabama where all the other industry keeps going. Give them a chance and see what it is all about before you pass judgement. This county needs jobs with longevity and decent pay. Bring them on!
Conspiracy theorists? You’re not paranoid if you REALLY ARE being persecuted, poisoned and diseased…by big money and greedy corporations. You’re being enraged, defensive, alert, reasonable, suspicious and all of that in as an appropriate response. It was brought out in the documentary I recommended (see below) that communities and even states don’t have the resources or money to properly research these operations.
I don’t like to be a blocker in group discussions. I mean we do need railroads to conserve energy and move products, etc. Railroads need railroad ties. But why do that work right in the middle of a community where people breathe and drink the water? Put it out in the boon docks in desolate areas, but of course along a highway or rail line. But even then then environment needs utmost protection. We are so slow to learn that even the death of frogs can mean our own demise given time.
OH, YES -
How about a monthly “Budget Compliance Report” comparing year to date and balance on each line item of the City Budget for each council person and for the interested public, and a current Balance Sheet.
Every Citizen has a right to know if the Asset Value of the tax payers is being preserved
Century Needs:
~A level playing field for contractors and vendors
~Policies and Procedures (a Rule Book)
~The council meetings are supposedly held along “Roberts Rules of Order”; however, there is no Parliamentarian, no Master at Arms, no “Old Business” and no New Business on the “Agenda”.
~Bring spending and loans into compliance with the Town Budget
~A committee, commission, or some group to address Life Quality and even
~Community Safety & Survival [shelters, evacuation, speeding on Hwy 29 & Hwy 4, public transportation, enterprise utilities (water, gas, sewage), annexation, etc.
~Address purchasing as a system and stop this silly practice of “. . . approving bills . . . . ” for payment.
~Compliance with Florida Statute 119 regarding the archive of city records, especially computer records (A sound and functional Policy and Procedures)
~Economic Development Policies and Procedures (what kinds of businesses and industry) and the procedures for purchasing-or-leasing property approval
~Activation & Promotion of the “incubator” on Pond St. that has been vacant since it was completed 10 years ago.
~Access to High-Speed Broadband Internet from anywhere in town.
~legitimate and congruent borders for the City, Sewer District, Water District, and Gas District. – A correct and accurate municipal map.
~Profit and Loss, Balance Sheets, and Cash Flow statements on all enterprise activities of the City.
~ and many, many more steps toward good, solid management . . .
Companies whose products produce toxic chemicals and pollution for years to come nearly always choose impoverished communities because they know the people will put the possibility of jobs ahead of personal safety.
Think about your children and grand children before selling their health away for a fast buck!
Yes Century needs jobs, but at what cost?
Companies whose products produce toxic chemicals and pollution for years to come nearly always choose impoverished communities because they know the people will put the possibility of jobs ahead of personal safety.
Think about chidren and grand children before selling their health away for a fast buck!
Yes Century needs jobs, but at what cost?
REGARDING:
“It sounds like you have already been drinking some of their Cool Aid.
Are you fireproof yet?”
Nope, I burn easily–too high a fat content.
Drink the Kool-Aid, reference to followers of Jim Jones who had his disciples drink Kool-Aid in rituals right up to the time he put poison in it and got about a thousand people to knowingly drink it, knowing they and their children would die but so caught up in following him that they did so willingly.
Expression used lately to denounce any belief without spelling out any flaw, just pretending it is as mindless as the people at Jonestown in Guyana. In this case the idea that everybody isn’t automatically evil or good, that you should always assume the worst or the best without ever checking.
David preferring Pink Lemonade flavor
Actually Boo Berry, blackberry flavor
but they don’t sell it anymore
YES, I am sure that Freddie Wayne would not KNOWINGLY allow “something toxic” or dangerous or hazardous into Century; but, there still needs to be an investigative process of accountability and reporting – that Century does not have, that it must have to survive. That is why we have “Business Brokers” and the like to do such investigations, but still we need a clean set of rules WRITTEN DOWN in a formal policies and procedures for economic development.
Kool aid. Not cool aid. A jobs a job. I’m sure Freddie isn’t going to let something toxic into our town, that’s just more griping from the community he has to listen to.
It is not prudent to tell everything regarding your plans for business or anything else, neither is it appropriate for people to speculate too wildly; that is exactly why we have a process called “DUE DILIGENCE”; a good definition is —-
Due Diligence: An investigative process, usually undertaken by investors, but also customers, due diligence refers to the process of making sure that someone is what they say they are and can do what they claim (e.g., does the product really work, do they really have customers, etc. ) and will do no harm. Basically, the process of discovering the “TRUTH”.
I have done “due diligence” on the product and process, but not on the people or the company involved. BTW, petro-tar is NOT an inert substance – thank goodness, it is a reactive organic. It can and will be eaten by bacteria. (Dr. Peter Prez – Microbe Masters) This discussion thread has NOTHING to do with BP or tar or oil spills. This is about good, safe jobs and industry for Century, and one company in particular.
Century needs to have a set of RULES as to what is acceptable in the way of industry and the substances allowed to be used in that industry. The town needs to have someone or some company who is capable of determining if a prospective company and or product is a “good fit” with the town and the people and what the potential hazards or “down-side” is, and that plans are in place to deal with a potential problem. Heck, Century DOES NOT HAVE A DISASTER PLAN OR SHELTER, STORM SHELTER, EVACUATION PLAN, EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEM or anything! If there is a toxic spill, or tornado – YOU ARE ON YOUR OWN – just like Louisiana and BP.
Have you ever seen a disaster drill or exercise in Century? DUH!
REGARDING:
David Huie Green
It sounds like you have already been drinking some of their Cool Aid. Are you fireproof yet?
REGARDING:
“BP is the latest and greatest offender.”
You know perfectly well BP didn’t intend to offend by losing a well, billions of dollars in expenses, millions of dollars in income, bad publicity, eleven deaths, a shut down drilling situation.
The problem is that they were not careful enough about making it not happen. We don’t actually know all the details but only the worst conspiracy nut would think it was intentional. I remember being told years back by Texaco that anybody on the semi-submersible was authorized to shut in the well and that safety actually was most important because they don’t get any good out of injured workers.
I talked to a fellow this week who worked on a BP rig a while back. He said that was their attitude too. In this case, somebody didn’t have that attitude and needs to be dealt with–assuming they are still alive–but there’s no way the entire company–or even anybody–in the company wanted it to happen.
The same thing with the crosstie treating facility. Nobody wants to create a bad situation but we need to make sure one doesn’t happen anyway. People aren’t going to spend twenty-five or thirty million dollars on a project just to have it shut down.
David thinking, Tell us more
Tar is inert. Do we want tar in our soils? No, and I expect the plan is to keep this inert material out of our soils and runoffs. The best laid plans of mice and men. We need jobs but we need clean jobs. But I must applaud this trend to replace toxic railroad tie treatment with something better (if that is what it is). Investigate deeply people.
It’s not so much we are ignorant citizens griping without foundation…it’s just that corporations are running out of control all over the world and destroying it. BP is the latest and greatest offender.
Check out a coming HBO documentary on the gas drilling projects that have ruined water supplies all over the country and have taken people’s land WITHOUT LEGAL OBSTACLE to their greedy behavior. Also, rent the video “The Corporation”. The Tea Party sees corporate big money as “The British”, that is to say, the enemy. I see a revolution coming, not against big government so much as against corporate arrogance, dominance, and destructive influences in our lives. We will NOT eat cake. HBO documentary link below:
http://www.hbo.com/documentaries?cmpid=ABC451#/documentaries/gasland/synopsis.html
inert makes more sense than biodegradable
I am VERY familiar with this product & process. It is what the mayor says it is. However, it is not biodegradable, but biologically inert, and yes you can drink it but I would not want to.
I am amazed at the SPECULATION by people who know NOTHING. If you are concerned about “superfund” sites and the like, then you should lobby the mayor & Council for some planning, policies, and procedures to set guidelines regarding what kinds of industry is appropriate for Century. Then work on LIFE QUALITY issues like schools, housing, transportation, retail, & disaster planning to make Century and all of N. Escambia a desirable place to live & raise kids.
Mayor McCall is learning – which is why he is WISELY NOT TALKING.
I know the developers well. It will cost $25-$30 million to make this work, but the process will do every thing the mayor says it will & more.
Century, however should do a detailed DUE DILLIGENCE investigation.
They need to do something. It might help cut down on all these drugs dealers in the area. Give people around here a chance to earn a living.
To all the ney sayers, Wait till you get the whole story, before you run your mouth. I for one, would like to hear all of the environmental risks and studies, including
the air quality study around a plant of the same kind, before I pass judgement. Negative talk before all the facts are known, has cost us businesses in the past.
Think before you talk.
Sinus problems? Really? I’d rather my nose run and there be hundreds of new jobs than be stuffy nose free and have a ton of people go on being without jobs. Maybe that’s just me being unselfish.
I agree with David H Green why would we want another super fund site? If any of you in that area thinks you have sinus problems now wait until that gets there!!!!!!!
REGARDING:
“Yeah, just what we need another superfund site. ”
There you go again, assuming the worst. Besides, isn’t the soil already contaminated there? I KNOW you can’t drink creosote and be happy.
AND
“Selfishness and greed are an irresistible temptation for the dim witted.”
How could that apply to US? Oh, I get it, you think we are dim witted. Actually, though, I have never seen anybody who was not motivated in part by selfishness and greed–either for themselves or for their children. The question is one of whether it meets our long term greed goals or short term. Before we know more, we can’t decide, dim witted or not.
AND
“This county needs jobs, real jobs not dependent on tourism. ”
Now, THIS is unquestionably a true statement.
Consider how tourism might suffer if, say, there were some huge oil slick messing up the tourist destination.
Or do you remember when folks were killing tourists at rest stops? They had to catch them not because they cared about us but because it was reducing tourism. At least we lucked out this year because gangs were killing and kidnapping tourists in Mexico and people decided to come here on vacation (lucky us) until the above happened.
Or when a hurricane threatens and tourists are afraid to come.
David for diversification into
the biodegradable wood preserving soft drink trade
Yeah, just what we need another superfund site. Rape the land for money now and let your children and grandchildren suffer for your good time later. Selfishness and greed are an irresistible temptation for the dim witted.
This county needs jobs, real jobs not dependent on tourism. I think this will be a good opportunity for Century and I hope they can get it done.
Good luck in this county getting anything approved.Escambia county is soooo slow in getting any permits that people just give up
It’s biodegradeable but will make wood not biodegrade for over a hundred years?
and you can use it as a soft drink?
sounds interesting at the very least
go for it
If we explain to Freddie McCall what an advantage being fireproof will be immediately after judgment day, I am sure he will want to drink some of that stuff. We should also throw in that it will extend his life for 100 years.
WENDY:
Great idea!!
If we can convince Freddie McCall that it will make him Fire Proof, he just might drink some.
This will surely make a stink in this town. This is the frst thing you smell when you go into the town of Bay Minette Alabama on US 31 and at night you smell it all over town. It will be like living under the stacks of the Paper Mill.
Same old lies to a new generation. ““It’s so safe you can drink it,” the mayor said of the chemical process to be used to treat the railroad ties.”
That is exactly word for word the same thing they said about Agent Orange during the Vietnam War.
I would love to see Freddie McCall drink a glass of it himself.
Biodegradable treatment? How does that prevent rot? Something doesn’t make sense here. Anybody notice?
What Century doesn’t need is pollution, air or water…to add to its drug and poverty problems. Deeper investigation needed into this.
Fingers crossed? Why not just get down on your knees and beg God for mercy?