COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — One central Ohio community is coming out against a big project.

They say people have pulled out of buying houses in the area and others may consider leaving if the project moves forward. That project: a system that will convert cow manure and food waste to renewable natural gas.

Area commissioners and townships have signed legislation against it and the project has a petition with hundreds of signatures against it. However, because of a zoning law technicality, the community may not be able to stop it and right now there’s nothing to stop it in your neighborhood either.

“I love where I live,” Nichole Henthorn said.

Nichole and her husband, Brent, have lived in the West Jefferson area for a decade. It’s their safe space, but some big plans nearby might change that.

“I was very much astonished,” Angie Carpenter, who has lived in the area for 57 years said.

Right now, the plan is for a company to come in and build a biodigester near these neighbors.

“They’re normally on rural dairy farms and we’ve been here 25 years. I’ve never seen one cow across the street,” said Steve Dersom.

A biodigester makes renewable energy. It takes food and animal waste, breaks it down and turns it into biogas, filled with methane.

“If this were on a farm that was 400 acres, that was supported by cows, and they were out in the middle of nowhere, we would not be here right now,” Carpenter said.

Vanguard Renewables is the Massachusetts company planning to build the biodigester in Madison County, just over 20 miles from Columbus.

NBC4 Investigates found that in Massachusetts, one Vanguard biodigester was fined almost $78,000 in 2022 for environmental violations that impact public health. Another was fined more than $7,000 for exceeding emission limits.

“I think the location they picked, most people can immediately see it’s laughably bad. I mean, 50 feet from a bike path, right at the head of a trail,” Madison County commissioner-elect Brendan Shea said.

Vanguards’ website lists six other projects in Massachusetts and Vermont. Each one is on a farm with cows, something the Madison County site does not have. Manure would have to be trucked in. It’s also a lot smaller of a space; the completed projects range from around 450 acres to 1,000 acres. The Madison County project would sit on just over 90.

“It was hard to understand why they would put it in proximity to our residential homes,” Henthorn said.

The zoning laws in place have let this project go ahead without weighing community input despite the Madison County board of commissioners and every single township in the area coming out against it.

“I know how protective our community is over our natural resources,” Carpenter said.

The area of land in Madison County is zoned for agricultural use. The farmer who owns it leased it to Vanguard for the biodigester; however, construction has not yet started.

The county says Vanguard has two possible plans right now: installing natural gas lines to get the gas out or trucking the gas out.

If Vanguard uses gas lines, that follows the area zoning laws and the project can move ahead.
Right now, state legislation to address this is unlikely to pass before the end of the year and there are no other regulations. The neighbors want this project regulated like solar projects, which have a variety of legislation including giving local governments more power with restrictions.

“My family has been in this area for 60 years and yeah, we’re really thinking about is this what we want to do now?” Carpenter said.

NBC4 Investigates reached out to Vanguard for an interview three and a half weeks before this story was set to air. They did not give us time for an interview, but did send a statement Wednesday morning saying:

“Vanguard Renewables has a decade long history of recycling food waste into renewable natural gas (RNG) through anaerobic digestion. This is an innovative and sustainable approach to reducing landfill waste, lowering greenhouse gas emissions, and creating a clean, renewable energy source. By diverting organic waste from traditional disposal methods such as landfills or incineration, Vanguard Renewables is not only supporting environmental stewardship, promoting regenerative agriculture practices, but also helping communities transition to greener energy solutions. In early 2025, we plan to expand our community outreach efforts to educate and engage stakeholders further about the benefits of this approach. Through workshops, informational campaigns, and partnerships, we aim to build greater awareness and support before advancing our project in West Jefferson. It is the Company’s hope that by working together with our stakeholders, we can create a more sustainable future for all.”