Public Town Hall Meeting by SOBE Concerned Citizens, Youngstown, Ohio August 11, 2025 - 5pm-8pm

Public Town Hall SOBE Concerned Citizens Monday, August 11, 2023 - 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM at the Eugenia Atkinson Center, 903 Otis St., Youngstown OH 44510

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT:   Community Organizer, Kayshia Washington 330-261-6733 YOUNGSTOWN – On Monday August 11, 2025, SOBE Concerned Citizens (SCC) will hold a Public Town Hall meeting commemorating the 2nd year anniversary of the Public Comment Meeting called by the Ohio EPA at the Eugenia Atkinson Center on August 10, 2023.

Our Community Organizer, Kayshia Washington will present SOBE Concerned Citizens’ pushback against SOBE Thermal Energy’s proposed expansion into a pyrolysis plant right next to downtown Youngstown. She will go over the Moratorium Ordinance against gasification and pyrolysis in Youngstown, the fact that they are only permitted to do steam heating and cooling, and not to pyrolyze chopped-up tires on the Mixed Use Community zoned property they occupy. We will come together in unity in our community center to listen to expert speakers:

Tish O’Dell from the Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund Becca Pollard from Buckeye Environmental Network Aaron Makatura from Environmental Health Project Miranda Leppla and Kendall McPherson who will speak about the moratorium ordinance and update residents about the city of Youngstown’s lawsuit against the Ohio EPA.

At the August 10th, 2023 Ohio EPA meeting, the audience of over 150 participants was overwhelmingly against the SOBE project which received an Ohio EPA DRAFT permit on July 6th, 2023. Questions and later official comments from residents raised concerns about the health and safety of our community, the fact that zoning in this area is Mixed Use Community and NOT Industrial, and the many Environmental Justice issues associated with locating this project in an Environmental Justice Community of Concern. Mayor Brown, Tom Hetrick (President of City Council), Anita Davis (6th Ward) and Mike Ray (4th Ward) also spoke in opposition.  

This Public Town Hall will draw attention to the fact the Ohio EPA ignored the citizens of Youngstown’s concerns and opposition and issued a TEN YEAR air pollution permit to SOBE Thermal Energy, LLC. Most importantly, the Moratorium Ordinance against pyrolysis and gasification projects in Youngstown must be renewed on December 25, 2025.

For More information: www.stop-sobe.com SOBE Concerned Citizens: 330-333-8410  sustainableyoungstown@gmail.com

Sustainable Youngstown FB page: https://www.facebook.com/SustainableYoungstown

Ohio EPA Petition to inspect SOBE Thermal site at 205 North Ave. and RESCIND the ten year air pollution permit granted on Feb. 14, 2024: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1J9qSNuc-mK_iAwpmcE_IYeKCIl_aD3NtIRlkywyHcqI/edit  

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Public Town Hall Meeting by SOBE Concerned Citizens, in Youngstown, Ohio on August 11, 2025 - 5pm-8pm