Another Hearing Scheduled in Wilbros Odor Suit

The next hearing date in the ongoing civil suit against a Toccoa bio-fuel company is scheduled for August.

Wilbros LLC is being sued by a number of groups, including the City of Toccoa, Stephens County, Stephens County School System, and a non-profit citizens’ group .

The suit is seeking damages because of noxious odors coming from the plant located in old Coats American site on Hwy 145 and Rose Lane.

Stephens County Attorney Brian Ranck says Judge Robert Adamson has scheduled an evidentiary hearing for August 7 at 9:30 a.m. at the Stephens County Government Building.

The hearing is designed to set out additional steps Wilbros should take to help eliminate the odor.

Wilbros is already working under a consent order from the Georgia Environmental Protection Division to make operational changes in an effort to control the odor problem.

Talks between the two sides have been going on since earlier this year when Judge Adamson ordered attorneys on both sides to have experts meet to see if a new joint order could be reached.

Meantime,  the City of Toccoa announced last week that it would no longer contribute financially to the legal costs associated with the Wilbros’ civil suit.

Toccoa officials informed Stephens County in a letter that the city has already paid in excess of $60,000 towards the suit after originally agreeing to a maximum contribution of $20,000.

In the letter, City officials said that while the city can no longer participate financially, it supports the suit and agrees to continue to participate as party plaintiff in the suit, if that is acceptable to Stephens County.