Driftless Water Defenders ask court to temporarily halt biodigester construction

By Zach Jensen,

A regional environmentalist group is hoping a court will order work at the site of a proposed biodigester be halted, but the renewable natural gas company constructing the digester isn’t planning to stop without a fight.

The legal action comes after the company, Novilla RNG, LLC, surrendered a previously approved zoning permit. 

Attorney James Larew of Iowa City, who represents the Driftless Water Defenders, filed a motion on March 4, requesting a temporary injunction to pause Novilla RNG, LLC’s construction on the biodigester project — a biodigester contains microorganisms which break down manure in an oxygen-free environment, producing renewable natural gas — or RNG, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The facilities are also sometimes called anaerobic digestion systems or anaerobic digesters.

Novilla, a Michigan-based renewable natural gas company, hopes to construct its facility on land owned by Craig Bohr and Deb Storlie, near the intersection of 275th Street and Iowa Highway 9 between Ridgeway and Cresco. 

Article available in the March 20 Decorah Leader. 

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