Group Protests Methane Plant in West End

by Deborah Yetter (Courier-Journal) A spirited group of protesters marched more than 20 blocks along West Broadway Sunday afternoon to show their opposition to a proposed plant in the area that would produce methane by composting spent grain used to produce whiskey at a nearby distillery.

"To put a methane gas plant in West Louisville without getting the approval of the residents of West Louisville is disrespectful," shouted Ray Barker, an activist and retired Louisville police officer who helped lead the event.

The object of the protest is a plant in West Louisville's California neighborhood proposed by Nature's Methane, which is seeking zoning approval for a $40 million biodigester on eight acres at 15th and Maple streets that would harvest methane from spent grain from Heaven Hill distillery.

Already, community protests have caused developers to drop plans for a similar, food-composting plant at the West Louisville Food Port at 30th and Muhammad Ali Boulevard.

"it's just unfair," said retiree and community activist Donnie Morris Sr. "They haven't had many community meetings to find out how the public feels about it." READ MORE / MORE includes VIDEO and MORE (Louisville Business First)