Waelz Sustainable Products Project In Muncie Is Dead

An electric arc kiln furnace project slated for Muncie is dead.  City officials say the Muncie Redevelopment Commission will buy back a brownfield on Kilgore Avenue now owned by Waelz Sustainable Products and say they are working through “an exit strategy.”

MRC Director Todd Donati says the city is pulling out because the company did not give “scientific factual information proving that their recycling processes were very safe.”

“Any economic development agreements related to this project have mutually been agreed to be voided.”

The plant that would have recycled steel dust into zinc oxide was proposed in January.  It received unanimous city council approval for tax incentives in July.  Since then, hundreds of Muncie-area residents mobilized to oppose the project, saying it would put toxic mercury and lead into the air.

MRC President John Fallon says the city’s exit from the project has much to do with that citizen action.

“Our community as we learned – as we always knew – but we learned in Technicolor in recent weeks, has a lot of energy.  It has a lot of intelligence.  It has a lot of people that are concerned about the community.”

In a written statement, Waelz says it chose Muncie for the project to work with the community to “bring meaningful revitalization and value to the community.”  The company also says other proposed sites for the project are already beginning to contact Waelz.

City officials said the purchase price for the former BorgWarner site is still being determined.

Muncie City Council president Doug Marshall says he’ll let council members know of the development, so they can decide whether to go forward with a scheduled Wednesday night committee meeting on the Waelz project.