SALEM, Alabama (WTVM) – A nearly $60 million natural gas plant is planned for construction in Salem.
The project was approved during a recent Lee County Commission meeting.
The facility will be one of many for the company, but the first in Alabama. It will be located at 183 Lee Road, near Waste Management’s current location.
Neighbors we spoke to on Thursday expressed concerns about this planned expansion of their community.
“We need something that will benefit us… something for the neighborhoods here,” said resident Beverly Core.
Core has lived in Salem her entire life. She and her husband live less than a mile from the waste facility and believe new additions should only be made if they are beneficial.
“It could be a library, a school, some kind of store, Dollar General … something like that nearby in the neighborhood,” she said.
According to the Lee County Commission, the $57 million natural gas plant is critical to preventing harmful emissions from the landfill from entering the air.
The Alternative Fuels Data Center explains that this process involves capturing methane gas from decaying organic matter and converting it into renewable natural gas that can be used to power vehicles.
Prince Dumas, who lives near the landfill, points out that the fumes are particularly bad when it rains.
“Where I live, I’m closer to the landfill and the air would be a little better because it smells really bad out here,” Dumas said.
Both Dumas and Core say what is most needed in their part of town is a Dollar General.
“I was hoping they would open a Dollar General because we need one in this area. I thought they would open one here at first, but they moved it somewhere else,” Dumas said.
Core would like the county to prioritize creating facilities for children and families in Salem rather than focusing on a renewable natural gas plant.
“…like a park for the kids. There are a lot of kids here who would love to play in the park,” Core said. “We don’t even have a park down here. It’s all pretty normal. We have to walk long distances to get (things) done.”
According to the Lee County Commission, construction is expected to begin in November and be completed by the end of 2025.
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