I-Team confirms: FBI investigating Lamar County’s delayed waste-to-fuel project

BARNESVILLE, Ga. - A stalled recycling center that’s come under fire from irate taxpayers has caught the attention of the FBI.

With the backing of the county government, the Lamar County Regional Solid Waste Management Authority took out a $27.5 million state loan in 2014 to build a waste-to-fuel project at the landfill that’s now more than 6 years past its original completion date, with loan repayments starting in April.

The FOX 5 I-Team has reported that some of the loan money flowed to a top landfill official who promoted the project, with a group of angry taxpayers demanding the county launch an investigation.

It seems they’ve gotten one, and at a higher level. An FBI spokesperson confirmed Wednesday that the agency has launched an investigation. 

The FBI confirmed Wednesday that it has launched an investigation into a waste-to-fuel project at the Lamar County landfill, which still isn't operating despite more than $20 million spent. (FOX 5)

That’s music to the ears of a concerned citizens group that’s been raising alarms about the project, which has cost more than $20 million and counting. 

"[The FBI] would not have jumped on this as quickly as they did if there wasn’t an issue or issues that need to be looked at, and there wasn’t something that didn’t smell like a good fish in the batch," Dianne Perry, a founding member of the Concerned Citizens Group of Lamar County, said.

Asked what he hopes will come from the FBI investigation, county resident James Hyde said, "Truth is all we seek."

Rumors have been circulating for weeks that the FBI’s Macon office was looking into how the landfill authority has spent the money loaned from the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority.

But the existence of an investigation finally became public at Tuesday night’s county commission meeting, when Commissioner Jason Lovett stated that he and Commissioner Ashley Gilles had been talking to an FBI agent for months.

Lamar County Commissioner Jason Lovett revealed the existence of an FBI investigation into the landfill's stalled recycling center in comments made during a public meeting on Tuesday. (FOX 5)

Lovett and Gilles are allies of the concerned citizens and have been outspoken critics of the solid waste authority and its executive director, Johnny Poore. Both commissioners were served papers Wednesday in a lawsuit filed by the landfill authority’s attorney, who among other things is demanding they share any documents that would verify their past statements suggesting FBI or U.S. Justice Department involvement. While talking about the lawsuit, Lovett revealed the FBI’s role.

"Commissioner Gilles and I contacted the agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation who interviewed us in September regarding the solid waste authority," Lovett said from the dais Tuesday. "Although records she and I gathered prior to our September board meeting remain under Department of Justice subpoena, and therefore are not eligible for open records disclosure, we are allowed to acknowledge receipt of the subpoena from the United District Court for the Middle District of Georgia."

The news of a federal probe seemed to catch members of the landfill authority by surprise. County commissioner and landfill authority chairwoman Nancy Thrash said she had no knowledge of an FBI investigation.

A waste-to-fuel recycling center near Lamar County's Cedar Grove Landfill was supposed to be a model for the whole state, generating millions of dollars per year in revenue. But it has yet to earn a penny because the machines have yet to be cranked u

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"I don’t have any confirmation, so I don’t have any further comment," Thrash said after the meeting. 

In a written statement, the authority told the I-Team, "The Authority has not been contacted by any federal or state law enforcement body regarding any investigation of anyone related to the Authority.  Of course, the Authority would cooperate with any such investigation of it or anyone else related to its business."

It’s not clear what aspect of the landfill project piqued the feds’ interest. 

But FOX 5 reported last month that some of the GEFA loan money went to Executive Director Poore and people connected to him. Poore received $136,600 from 2015 to 2016 as compensation for overseeing construction of the waste-to-fuel project, on top of his regular salary. Records show he’s due to be paid that same sum again once the project is complete.

Lamar County landfill authority Executive Director Johnny Poore, seen here with authority attorney John Richard, has come under fire for years of delays in a costly, unfinished waste-to-fuel project. (FOX 5)

Poore received that money through a unanimous vote of the landfill authority board, which opted in 2014 to pay Poore extra rather than hire the low bidder for the job at a cost of more than $2 million.

It was Poore who, nine years ago, convinced the county commission to back the $27.5 million GEFA loan, which is nearly double the size of the county’s operating budget. He described a plan to turn a profit by converting garbage into fuel and a char byproduct that could be used in the plastics and cement industries. 

Poore has blamed the lengthy delays on the COVID pandemic and unforeseen complications that required redesigns, re-engineering, re-permitting and relocation of machinery. He told the I-Team that the project would be fully operational by summer. The first phase of the project – leachate evaporators – was supposed to crank up before New Year’s, but that hasn’t happened because the authority only recently received its permit from the state Environmental Protection Division, according to the authority’s attorney. 

The authority has also said that loan payments, which start in April, will be funded through contracts with landfill operator Amwaste.

In an open letter to taxpayers published in The [Barnesville] Herald-Gazette this week, the authority said, "The only way the taxpayers could be responsible for these loan payments is if the waste-to-fuel project or the other work of the Authority is stopped by the forces who never wanted to see it succeed in the first place."

Lamar County's solid waste authority plans to house its entire waste-to-fuel project in a former Enercon building, not far from the Cedar Grove Landfill. (FOX 5)

Members of the concerned citizens group said they’re not trying to halt the project. "I categorically deny that we have ever tried to shut the solid waste authority down or asked them to spend money that they didn’t need to," Mike Perry, Dianne’s husband, told the commission during public comments Tuesday. "We’ve only asked them for an explanation as to why it’s taken ten years to go nowhere." 

From his seat on the dais, Commission Chairman Ryran Traylor, also a solid waste authority board member, gave members of the concerned citizens group a talking-to on Tuesday, saying hostility surrounding the landfill project and negative publicity could hamper economic development in the county.

"Please, think about how we are representing our community," the chairman said. "FBI’s involved? Then bottom line, I’m quite sure those guys do a phenomenal job getting to the bottom of whatever investigation needs to be done."