Three Oaks, Mich., officials were all set to issue a cease-and-desist order against Journeyman Distillery, which officials say is overwhelming the town’s wastewater disposal system, which consists of a lagoon, not a treatment plant.
“When you have high strength waste going into the lagoon, the bacteria tries to eat that and essentially dies, making the lagoons stagnant,” said Mike Greene, Three Oaks Village.
Bill Welter, Journeyman’s owner, says “We are being asked to remedy issues that date back decades. Even more and I think it’s just wrong that we’re being challenged with this.”
Town officials say they have been trying to get Journeyman to deal with its wastewater for eight years. To solve the issue, they say, would require a multi-million-dollar treatment plan.
“We feel like the Village should upgrade the system and through that process, (in) Journeyman Distillery, they have a high use user that could help pay for the infrastructure improvements,” said Welter. “With an IPP program or an industrial program the charges would be higher. I mean that’s a tremendous amount of money in a small town that could be used to invest in that infrastructure.”