Welcome to Open Agenda. I'm your host
Joe White. We want to give you an update
on the biodiesel refinery out on Atkins
Road and Hickory Mill Road. In order to
talk about that, I brought in Mr. Mike
Goldberg from Delmare. Mr. Joe Venos,
Dr. Joe Venosa from Salsbury.
>> Just Joe today.
>> Just Joe for a few more weeks.
>> Yeah, you got the the students coming in
soon, right?
>> Still August. So, uh, so gentlemen, uh,
want to bring Rhonda Tomco in. Uh, we
had her and Joe Diggs in in back in the
at the end of the winter, beginning of
the spring, and, uh, they are part of
the the the group of citizens fighting
against a bio refinery. Uh, at the time
we did cover at the board of appeals
that the the local planning board of
appeals elected to not give an a
variance to Raj Catheria for his
biodeiesel refinery. Uh we've we've seen
on public on social media that they've
been raising funds the citizens out
there for a defense. I'd like to get an
update on that. Um you know, Mike,
you've been at almost all the county
council meetings in the last few months.
Has has this topic come up in any way
with our local leaders?
>> Not to the best of my recollection. The
only time it's come up has been uh when
they held the board of appeals hearing
uh which was in the council chambers but
it was not a function of the of the
county council
>> and uh they uh you know they slammed Mr.
Cathuria there and upheld the decision
of uh the planning and zoning commission
but uh I cannot recall of any discussion
on this uh at the council meeting. Joe,
I mean, you know, locally, we have not
heard anything from the media regards to
this.
>> I mean, I I would be shocked if anybody
in the the local media is aware of
anything since.
>> Weren't you weren't you a little bit put
back? I know I was. With the the number
of state agencies who came and spoke to
the board of appeals in favor of Mr.
Cthuria's project,
>> I don't know if put back is the right
term. I mean, a combination of enraged
and shocked and worried because, you
know, it seems like this guy's protected
by the devil on high, so to speak.
>> Yeah.
>> And no disrespect to the state
necessarily
>> using our money to do it.
>> Using our money to do it. And and it
seems like there are bigger players at
work that want this. And then the
question becomes, okay, if it happens
here and and he and others around him
benefit, then what's to stop it from
happening elsewhere in the county, other
counties? I mean,
>> well, I tell you what, let's bring
Rhonda to Tomco in. Let's see what she
has to say, and then afterwards, Mike,
if you'll come back,
>> uh, I'd like to just see if we draw some
comparisons to what we're seeing with
her situation to maybe some of the other
situations we've seen throughout our
county in the last couple years.
>> And there's a lot of links there, I
think.
>> Well, we'll see. Okay, so stay with us.
When we come back, we'll have Miss
Rhonda Tomco on to talk about the
updates for the biodeiesel refinery. So,
stay with us. We'll be right back.
Welcome back to open agenda. So we want
to give an update on the biodeiesel
refinery out on Atkins Road and in order
to do so I brought in Miss Rhonda Tomco
and Dr. Joinosa. Thanks for sticking
around.
>> Thank you.
>> So uh we last we spoke with you uh the
county had had actually put out a a stop
work order to uh Mr. Catheria
>> and then we did cover and we watched the
board of appeals uh not grant the appeal
for a zoning variance.
>> Um but we understand since then uh Mr.
Ctheria has appealed that ruling and uh
we wanted to find out exactly just where
things stand now.
>> Yeah. So, um after the the county board
de declined his appeal and didn't award
him, um a change of zoning, um he then
has the right to file with the court
system. And so now he's filed um a
notice of appeal, but we are still
waiting for the specifics of that. We
expect um according to dates issued by
the court system that around the end of
August this month sometime we should get
the specific written um details of what
exactly he's appealing what are the
grounds that he's appealing on with the
court system. Um and so in the meantime,
we've mobilized as a community. We've
done a fundraiser, raised money for
legal fees, um so that the folks who are
the immediate neighbors h can pay for
legal representation. Um they've all
signed a contract with an attorney and
um outside of that, I can't, you know,
talk about any of the specifics of that
because I'm not even involved in that.
But as a resident of that community,
we're finan all financially supporting
that event. So, he's going to appeal to
the circuit court.
>> He has he's made notice that he is
appealing, but he doesn't have to submit
the written details of exactly what
grounds he's appealing on
>> until the end of August.
>> Well, first off, congratulations on
getting the funds together because I
think last we spoke or at least last we
had been in communication, um there were
concerns about getting the funds and so
it's great that everybody was able to
pull together in something like that. It
just seems though that sort of, you
know, the ordeal that you have to go
through as regular folk who just want
your neighborhood clean and not an
environmental, you know, catastrophe
zone, what you have to go through versus
people that have political and economic
connections is really
>> Yeah, that's a a common theme of our
frustration in the neighborhood and and
to be honest, it should be within the
county. Um because it doesn't just
affect our neighborhood, it'll affect
everyone. Um, if a if a a business or a
person can come to town and not observe
zoning laws, not observe permitting and
construction laws, and do whatever they
want and then be denied access by the
county, but then go over the county's
head and take it to the court system.
Like, what's the point of all of our
laws and our zoning? Well, let's talk
about some of that for maybe some folks
out there who maybe aren't as familiar
with it without all the details because
they could go back to our previous
episode,
>> but but Mr. Ctheria is is actually not
from this area.
>> Correct.
>> But he does have a contract with the
state of Maryland uh through the uh a
program with the Maryland Department of
Agriculture.
>> And that was a grant for many millions
of dollars. and uh and he actually sits
on this council with the MDA that awards
these grants which is odd.
>> Wait, so the person receiving the grant
is also on the committee that
>> he sits on the board of directors of the
division of bio like refinery and green
energy in a
>> bag and his his specialty listed is uh
renewable energy. Correct. Okay. and he
did try to put this uh biodeiesel
refinery on the east side of the county
which is not far from where I live.
>> Mr. Cather exactly are you affiliated
with um international bio-refineries?
>> I am um 90% owner of that.
>> It's your company. It's fair to say. And
that company is also um referred to as
InBio. Is that correct?
>> That is correct. and InBio received a a
grant from the Department of
Agriculture, a $1.9 million grant um
back in 2020. Is that correct?
>> That was part of uh the things that that
were required
um and um
it was our proposal was a onfarm
proposal. So, you didn't need permission
to transfer it from the first property
to the property that you intend to put
this on. Now, is the zoning of each
property something that is discussed?
>> The zoning was not discussed. No,
>> basically the folks on the east side
where he had his lease, they kind of
nudged him out and I think they nudged
him right over to you where he bought a
piece of property, I think. So he
learned his lesson that okay well lease
won't work when they see me bending the
rules.
>> And one thing you mentioned that
fascinates me and maybe frustrates me
more than fascinates is you said that
only the folks who live within a certain
area of hit the property that is in
question here over on Atkins Road can
actually participate in this.
>> Yes. So, according to planning and
zoning, um when you as a resident even
want to build something or do something
that is outside of the code, you apply
for a variance
>> and then your immediate neighbors are
notified of that and then your immediate
neighbors can contest it or support it
and then your permit is awarded, you
know, based on that. The problem that
we're running or that we've run into now
for the last year is that Mr. Cathuria
got the grant funding from the
department of a many years ago. Got a
permit from the department of the
environment um last June. I want to say
in July he started building a a pole
barn at this property at Hickory Mill in
Atkins. And then he applied for a
building permit in August.
>> Okay. After he started construction.
>> After he started construction. And then
he purchased the property in September.
>> Okay. Um and then when they came out to
do inspections on what he had
constructed,
um neighbors had reported and our
inspector noticed that there was
industrial equipment inside of a storage
facility.
>> Well, cuz you you mentioned this just a
minute ago. It was a pole barn. That was
the on the application he sent to Wak
County,
>> an agricultural storage building.
>> But on his application with Maryland
Department of Environment and the MDA,
it was never going to just be a cold
storage building. It never was because
when he originally started his grant-f
funded project in the Willard's area, it
was for a biorefinery and he came here
uh came to our neighborhood with the
intent of building that bio-refinery
because and we know that because in
August of 2024, the Department of
Environment amended their permit to
include this address and not the
Willard's address. So we know that the
department of a the department of
environment were aware of what was going
on and none of them including Mr.
Cthuria had notified the county which is
what was required in his grant funding
agreement that he notify and ask for the
correct permits and requirements to
adhere to our building.
>> Bigger than just Mr. Cthther and this
one bio-refinery. This is uh I think a
mentality that they have over in
Annapolis that they can just keep
pushing this stuff here and we need to
stand tall.
>> And sort of on that note, I'm curious,
but what has been generally county
government's response to this issue
based on what you've experienced? Our
experience has been that they've been
diligent and and you know followed
through with the issues that we've
noticed and and inspecting the property
following up with making sure that the
stop work order they issued back in I
want to say it was December I think um
to cease and desist all of the
operations at that time. Um the issue is
that their hands are tied, I guess,
because he's now filed in circ work
order.
>> Okay.
>> But he's contesting and and appealing
that with the court system.
>> So you you you talked about you have
raised money. So the only the folks who
live right around it can contest it
legally, but all of you have actually
gotten together, pulled your money.
>> Do you do you get the sense that the the
fight isn't fair? I mean, is it possible
that he's even using these state grant
funds to actually fight you in court?
>> Well, we know it's not fair because the
Department of A, the Department of
Environment minimally
know what's going on and are funding,
supporting, and sending letters of of
endorsement to our county.
>> Um, they are pushing for this to go
through because they've got millions
invested in this already. And the bigger
issue besides all of this inappropriate
or illegal activity is that Mr. Cathurio
wasn't a responsible grantee back in the
Wheeler's property and didn't manage all
that building and got basically
>> shown the door.
>> Shown the door to be, you know, to to be
kind.
>> So it seems that he's getting rewarded
for doing the wrong things at the state
level.
>> Yeah.
>> And yet Yeah. Well, and and look, so you
and we've covered this same topic on
with other issues on the show. He
realized what what ways around the rules
didn't work over in Willards,
>> and he's reapplying what he learned to
get around the rules over in in
Canterbury that in that area,
>> but but anybody else who's watching this
from the rest of Wakcomo County,
>> uh, who wants to sign up for one of
these, you know, science experiments in
your backyard,
>> right? the next one he builds, he'll
have even more information of what what
to put, what not to put, how to how to
state things.
>> And and I think that this is probably
where it's really troubling. Uh you
almost feel like in a in an essence on
the east side, we were very lucky. We
had some diligent land owners over there
>> who noticed it wasn't quite right and
are like, you know what, we need to go.
>> The one thing he learned is he needed to
buy the property, which you said he he
secured. And one of the things that
quite frankly enrages me is that the
Department of Agriculture and the
Department of Environment are
are given the task of protecting
agriculture, protecting the environment
for the citizens who fund their
activities.
>> They are funded by taxpayer dollars. And
I don't really care where you stand on
the political spectrum and where you
stand on social or green issues. The
reality is this gentleman has done
highly illegal and nefarious, I'm going
to say, activities with, in my opinion,
with malice intent
>> and
is being pushed forward by my tax
dollars.
and he and it's up the street from me.
>> Yeah. It's the fox guarding the hen
house with state money.
>> Yeah. And so, you know, all the other
wherever you stand on all the issues,
should we have a bio-refinery or not?
You know, should this be in farmland?
Should it not? The reality is that those
of us who live in rural agricultural
area on purpose. We've chosen to live in
a family farming community outside of
city limits that someone can come in
under the guise of agriculture.
>> None of the farmers in our county even.
>> Oh,
>> according to the Farm Bureau are in
support of this. They think it's gross
and negligent, especially the placement
of it.
>> My opinion, this is not agriculture.
This is not is not a normal practice.
That's what the right to farm law
protects, not new technologies or
anything. If you want to do new
technology, you go through the process.
If we let scientists make the rules and
not politicians, there wouldn't be a
litter problem. But here we are.
>> And yet we have these state departments
forcing it
>> and not supportive of the county
government that has a code system that
whether you agree with the codes or not
doesn't matter. Change the code if you
disagree with the code. And because you
had to do that through public forum and
I can't go build an amusement park in my
front yard because I live in a
residential agricultural community.
>> Exactly.
>> And so there's rules you have.
>> There's rules that I need to follow and
I choose to follow and my neighbors
choose to follow. We have a beautifully
friendly neighborhood over there. Hence
why we were able to raise plenty of
money to help pay for a legal fight. M
um but it's needless and it's ridiculous
that we have to fight against someone
who did everything wrong.
>> So, are you aware of any other
facilities in the state of Maryland that
would mirror the one that he's
attempting to build?
>> His his is proprietary. His is um an
experiment. Basically, he's
demonstrating a project idea um with
this grant funding. And you know, when
you say that other peop or people in
other areas of the county will have to
worry about this, they will
>> because his grant agreement is to build
more.
>> Oh, yes. We and we've seen that and
we've seen some local elected officials
maybe support that type of development.
>> Um they've been very silent through this
process. But what I what I really want
some some folks to know out there is is
it possible that the folks in Annapolis,
whether they be at the MDE or the MDA,
see a place like Wakcomo County as a
petri dish. Absolutely.
>> Are we 100,000 people? We're relatively
incident.
>> Our codes are kind of weak. You know, if
not forward thinking, you know, our
codes are older um for a rural community
and so yeah, we need to update our code.
Um, and so yeah, they can sweep in and
and I guess bully, take advantage of,
>> strongarm.
>> I I I wonder, have you um sought out any
state level media outlets or or any sort
of um entities that would maybe
enunciate these concerns in a greater
way? I mean, we we do all we can to
provide a public forum, but it seems
like this is an issue other people, not
just on the Eastern Shore, but in any
part of the county that doesn't want to
buy a refinery in
>> Well, the the issue is, you know, our
our perspectives on the Eastern Shore
are very different than what the
perspectives on the other side would be
of the other side of the bay.
>> Um,
>> I've been calling it the Western Shore,
by the way, since I moved here. I just I
didn't realize that was not a thing, but
I kind of like the ring of it.
>> We call it Western Shore.
>> Do you?
>> I do.
>> Okay. because people look at me a little
bit.
>> Yeah, the coastal area is the western
shore.
>> I live in the western briefly, but moved
back as soon as I could. So,
>> um, and the other thing that, you know,
is interesting to me is that folks like
Mr. Poria and our politicians here in in
Wycom County all run in the same circles
when you look at activity in Annapolis,
fundraising activity, um events, social,
political, you know, and so maybe they
don't quote know each other, but they're
one degree of separation from each
other.
>> Sometimes not even that much.
>> Yeah. And so um you know even from
the local radio or the local TV stations
um we've gotten very little
what we feel is objective like factual
yeah
>> reporting. Um and when they've come out
and interviewed us it's been a very
superficial like
>> this these neighbors are fighting this
business when it's so much deeper than
that. That's what we found. A lot of
times the the regular media shows up and
they want to talk about what people
said. Yeah.
>> We want to talk about what people did.
>> Yeah.
>> And u and good and bad. There's there's
a lot of We covered a lot of nice topics
the last couple weeks,
>> but you know, for someone who who's
grown up here, plans to live here the
rest of my life and and have like no no
need to to feel like what to to send an
experiment over to the Western Shore, as
they say. Um, I don't I don't want I
don't want to be reciprocated. I don't I
don't want to I don't want them over
here doing that.
>> Um, what's the is it is the next step
for you all just simply to wait until
you get the actual filing at the end of
August?
>> Our hands are tied regardless unless
you're one of the immediate neighbors
>> um who would be involved in that
variance battle.
>> Um, you we don't have any recourse. And
to be honest, even
even before all we could do was go
before the planning and zoning board at
the appeal hearing and voice our
disdain.
>> Um
>> I I got a question for you.
>> How many of the neighbors have signed up
to support Mr. Catheria?
>> Oh, zero.
>> Okay.
>> Yeah.
>> So, just just so we're clear, I mean,
there's no local support for this
project. And that's even within our
within our known like for example no one
in planning and zoning was was
supportive or in favor or approved even
minuscule of what was going on like we
felt like we were very supported
>> um in that you know four five month 6
month period of time. Um they were
responsive. Um the issues though like
for example he's continued to bring in
equipment.
>> Mhm. Is he is he putting it together in
that building? We don't know.
>> But we know because we have neighbors
who can see the property that there's
continued modifications to that property
that appear industrial in nature and not
farming.
>> So the stop work order is not in
>> operating a refinery.
>> Well,
>> but bringing heavy equipment for that
refer, you know, like it comes in in the
nighttime. Is it a semi- stop work
order?
>> Oh, yeah. Yeah. We don't know. I mean, I
my background is golf course
construction from way back when. When
you when you have a contractor who has
missed a permit or missed a permit
deadline, it could be just a window of
work.
>> Stop work means
>> stop work. There's not there's not a
gray. There's there's work and there's
stop.
>> Well, the the issue is it's a mixeduse
property and so there are existing
chicken houses there
>> and so he can continue to operate that
as a chicken farm. Um,
>> but it wasn't an operational chicken for
>> it wasn't until just within the last
couple of months did he actually we I'm
I'm thinking I think he did get poultry
in. We knew he was, you know, doing
there's some ne the immediate neighbors
are
>> it it feels so threatened by the the
construction of an industrial project
50t from their property. I would too.
>> Like we're not talking about a,000 ft.
We're talking about the the there's a
well head a residential well head like
27 feet from the property line where
where another 50 ft with the the
refinery would be the actual burning
pyrolysis
machine.
>> Well, I really appreciate you coming in.
Um you listen, you you're you're only
one phone call away from getting back
here to give us an update. I think for
anybody out there who's watching the
show, if you think that what they're
dealing with over there on Canterbury is
their problem,
>> this can be your problem.
>> What goes around comes around.
>> Yeah.
>> Thank you, Ron.
>> Thank you, guys.
>> So, stay with us. We'll be right back.
>> Welcome back to Open Agenda. So, Mr.
Mike Goldberg, Dr. Joinosa, thanks for
sticking around.
>> Of course. Uh it's really interesting to
see uh Rhonda's perspective, not just
that she's having and her and her
neighbors are having to go through this,
but the sense of community is coming
together to fight, you know, fight that
battle.
>> Uh I mean to to ask people to to go and
give up their hard-earned money so they
can fight against their other
hard-earned money that somebody's using
for state.
>> That's that's the irony. It's house
money both ways, right? It is.
But Joe, you know, we talked about this
with the with the tax incentives, the
property tax incentives for the Central
Business District, Horizon Fund.
>> Doesn't it seem odd that, you know,
you're you're you're dealing with some
state agencies who are using state tax
dollars that
>> they don't create, we we earn them, we
give them to them
>> to then cause us to have to build more
infrastructure, parking garages, what
have you, water, water, sewer,
>> and then we have to pay for that as
well. Yeah,
>> you're dealing with a lot more of this
in the in the city, but you know, give
me a perspective when you after you've
heard Rhonda.
>> Well, you know, it's funny as she was
talking, I I kept thinking about I had
an old professor in um my undergrad
days. She was sort of a late60s radical
who was teaching in the early 2000s and
she always said, she goes, "Remember the
best way to sort of understand what
happens in any of these situations is
just think about the loop of money,
power, and control because it's all
connected." And that's a very simplistic
notion, but when you apply it, it
actually often makes a lot of sense.
Money, power, and control. Um, what are
the common denominators in these
situations? Whether it's the city issues
or whether it's the bio refinery, it's
people that have a lot of money who are
connected to those in power um and who
exert a lot of control over the either
institutions or agencies.
>> Yeah.
>> And you know, that's a very uh I hate to
say it, it's a very universal problem.
Well, well, Mike, from from a flip side,
when we look at with Tipkin Park and and
I know that you've you've you've kept
your eye on that story. Uh it it's been
near and dear to you because of what you
went through with the Safari of the
Quarry, but just think about Tipkin Park
for a second. The the neighbors out
there have have stood up and said, "Hey,
look, we're really not in favor of
having a state park just thrust upon
us." Um, now it doesn't have maybe some
of the same connotations that a
biodeiesel refinery does, but at the end
of the day, a public entity is coming in
and and telling people what they're
going to do rather than ask them what
they want. Right.
>> And it it's not just a public entity,
but it's a these are state agencies that
are essentially usurping the authority
of the county government. And you the
folks on on in Annapolis, they have
different perspectives, different
desires than we have here on the Delm
Marva Peninsula. Um, and it's uh it's
it's a bit unsettling that they exercise
this degree of control and local folks
are largely powerless to to fight them
>> unless they're officials who want it to
happen.
>> Well, in that case,
>> no, that's that circle you were talking
about.
>> That's a circle. And you know, I believe
um on cuz you know, we're filming here
on Tuesday, August 12th, um this evening
on the west side, right? There's going
to be a
>> Yeah, Chris Adams has you know,
>> he has his town hall.
>> But again, this is happening years after
the executive and other people in that
circle sort of helped encourage and
apparently picked out the location
without telling.
>> I don't know if she picked out, but she
she said that she has stated publicly uh
that she drove state officials around,
>> gave them a tour of the area.
>> Yeah. Now, that might just mean that she
gave him a tour and we don't know. Um,
again, the same
>> some of the public statements though
suggest that actually a little bit more
than that.
>> Well, whenever you have a public figure
who says they do bait and switch, you
know, which one's the bait and which
one's the switch, you don't know which
one.
>> That's a good point.
>> I think uh Mike, going back to Safari at
the Quarry, uh, you know, that was a
year-long process for the folks in in
the neighborhood. the the angst there
was you weren't sure if there was going
to be more events, if the events were
going to ramp up. And I after listening
to Rhonda talk, you really get the sense
that this is more than just fighting one
biodeiesel refinery that happens to be
in her backyard. This is about fighting
the precedent that folks in Annapolis
can build biorefineries in any of our
backyards.
>> Well, anybody who's a regular person.
>> Okay,
>> you know, that's the thing.
>> Well, what was it we heard Rhonda say?
Uh
>> yeah, I think the hypothetical she said
was imagine if this project was built
out in Hebbrra next to the county
executive.
>> Would would this have happened in the
same way? I think we know the answer
question.
>> Well, I also I think she said uh fight
regular people fighting.
>> I don't know. I don't want to misquote
her.
>> So,
>> essentially it's it's David versus
Goliath. We're just little people
>> and those who, you know, have the power
and authority um backed by state state
money
>> are able to run rough shot over us. Uh
it's getting to the point in this state
and in this county uh where we uh we're
not really citizens, we're subjects and
we are there to serve at the whim of
Arabs who serve in government. Well, uh,
on our next show, which will come out
later this week, uh, I want to actually
dive into that exactly. Uh, we saw at
the August 5th meeting a gentleman and
he gave his name as good citizen, and he
actually talks about that, but I want to
I want to dive in that on the next show.
So, I think, uh, you know, if we get
people to to to see this, it' be a good
followup after the show.
>> That's true.
>> All right. Thank you, gentlemen.
>> Of course. So, thanks for watching this
episode of Open Agenda. We'll be back
later this week with another new
episode.
Never doubt that a small group of
concerned citizens can change the world.
