As time passes, so does faith in trash-to-ethanol plan, some waste officials

As time began to run out on Lake County's trash-to-ethanol plan last week, so did the faith and confidence of solid waste district officials — both in the project and themselves.

Jeff Langbehn, executive director of the Lake County Solid Waste Management District, said he lost faith and respect for Earl Powers, CEO of Powers Energy of America, when Powers walked out on board members in the middle of discussions regarding financing for the proposed south county plant.

And the waste district's new vice chairman, Griffith Councilman George Jerome, said his faith is wavering in Langbehn and other members of the district's professional staff who advocated the Powers project.

Jerome and fellow waste district board member Rick Ryfa, also a Griffith councilman, said Friday it is time to have discussion about the future of the district's professional staff now that the trash-to-ethanol plan is in free fall.

Frustrated following the passage of three years since inking a contract with Powers with no results, the waste district board voted Thursday to find Powers in breach of contract.

The board gave Powers 60 days to secure financing, land for the facility and to show other progress toward construction —  things Powers has failed to accomplish since signing the contract with the district in November 2008.

If Powers fails to appease the board, it could terminate its contract with the company at the end of that time period.

Walking out

Langbehn said a strong apology to the waste district board can be added to the list of things Earl Powers will be expected to do if he hopes to save his trash-to-ethanol contract.

Langbehn said he was appalled that Powers walked out of Thursday's meeting, just before board members voted to begin the 60-day clock.

A short time before the actual vote, Powers and some of his associates said they were stepping out of the meeting to have a brief discussion in the Lake County Government Complex hallway, Langbehn said.

After 10 minutes, one of the associates returned and told the board Powers was on his way back to Evansville.

"It was the most bizarre turn of events I could have ever predicted," said Langbehn, who said he confirmed with Powers' associates Friday that he left out of frustration.

Powers did not return phone calls placed Friday by The Times seeking comment.

"I think it is the most irresponsible and rude thing Mr. Powers could have done," Langbehn added. "I think the board has gone out on a limb for three years and taken untold pressures for his project, and this is how he acts?

"I have no use for Earl Powers as we sit here. I have not faith that they're going to make this happen right now."

Losing faith

Jerome, a longtime critic of the Powers Energy contact, said Powers may have sealed his fate with the board when he chose to walk out of the meeting.

But Jerome also said the trash-to-ethanol debacle reflects poorly on the district's professional staff — led by Langbehn — who had been advising the board on the project from the beginning.

"I'm losing faith in the district's professional staff because of their almost undying support of Earl Powers and this process that went on for so long," Jerome said.

"The selection process seemed skewed toward Earl Powers from the very beginning, and there were red flags from the very beginning."

Jerome and his fellow councilman, Ryfa, said the time is fast approaching for the board to discuss the future of waste district staff personnel and the leash upon which they're kept.

"I also believe board members need to start taking their responsibilities perhaps a little more seriously," Jerome said. "The whole district needs tighter oversight."

Langbehn defended himself and his staff.

"All we're allowed to do as a staff is what the board gives us direction on," Langbehn said. "I don't know where this is coming from, but would love to talk with him (Jerome) about it."

Regime change

Jerome will have an opportunity to help reform the solid waste district.

In a landslide vote Thursday, board members voted Lake County Councilman Rick Niemeyer in as the board's new chairman and Jerome as the vice chairman.

The new board leaders, both Republicans, have been vocal critics of the trash-to-ethanol contract, and neither were the leaders selected or supported by outgoing chairman, Democratic Lake County Commissioner Gerry Scheub.

It marked a sharp regime change.

Scheub, who has been the trash-to-ethanol plan's biggest political supporter, had backed Merrillville Councilman Tom Goralczyk for the chairmanship.

Goralczyk only mustered six votes out of the 19 board members present Thursday.

Niemeyer said the board will have to consider a new direction in the next couple of months, noting that the district had been focusing on trash-to-ethanol as the future of the county's garbage disposal for several years.

"They have spent a lot of time sticking with it and not looking at other alternatives," Niemeyer said. "Our direction may have to change fast."

Jerome said beyond trash-to-ethanol, the board must begin applying tighter spending standards.

Some state lawmakers have criticized the Lake County district for a $5 million a year budget perceived as bloated and for having an executive director with a $102,000 per year salary, both the largest of their kind in the state.

And Jerome criticized credit card spending and other financial claims put forth by waste district personnel.

In particular, he said the board should adopt stricter guidelines for expenses by district staff, who often seek board approval for expenses after the transactions already have been made.

"We have to pay better attention to taxpayer dollars," he said.