City of Green Bay: "Within Lawful Authority" To Revoke Gasification Plant Permit

The City says it acted within its lawful authority by voiding the conditional use permit granted to Oneida to build the plant.

Court papers filed by the City of Green Bay Tuesday explain that reasons "not limited to lies and misrepresentations by Oneida Seven Generations" are why the City Council revoked a conditional use permit to build a new gasification plant. But Oneida Nation, affiliated with Oneida Seven Generations, is asking what those lies could be.

"We honestly don't know. We wish we knew. I think that's why we are where we are today is that issue," says Oneida Nation spokesman Phillip Wisneski.

The City Council revoked Oneida's permit with a 7-5 vote in mid-October. People against the plant say it will churn out too much pollution, but Oneida disagrees. They say the plant fully complies with all federal and state environmental standards.

In November, the company filed suit asking for the City to restore the CUP.

Oneida Nation representatives say, they don't want the issue to go to court, and that they have a good relationship with the City and understand that this lawsuit could compromise that.

"Obviously the money is an issue and also the relationship, like we talked about earlier, it's never good to have anything in court between the two governments that get along really well," says Wisneski.

City officials and council members have not commented on the issue since a closed door meeting on November 27th. At the meeting, about 20 protestors showed up hoping the Council would stand their ground.

Oneida Nation sees things differently, and hopes to keep the issue from going to court.

"We wouldn't be backing this project if it wasn't environmentally safe and friendly, and that's one of our values as a tribe," says Wisneski.

The City Attorney's office tells WFRV there is no timetable to bring the lawsuit to court.

The City Council should take up the issue at their next meeting on December 11th.