MARION - Nearly 60 Williamson County residents jammed their way into Marion City Hall's council chambers Monday evening to discuss the proposed Karco Recycling plant.

With the assistance of Economic Development Director Gail West, Mayor Bob Butler offered a point-by-point analysis of the Columbus Metal Industries recycling plant in Columbus, Neb., which Butler, West and Commissioner Dog Connell visited last week.

Butler explained, with the aid of photographs taken by West, that the Nebraska plant contains a car grinder and was a shining example of a recycling center. He said the noise level was not any greater than a busy street, the vibrations from the car grinder were practically nonexistent and liquids emitted by the crushed vehicles did not seep into the soil, but rather into a retention pond with a concrete base.

Butler said the Nebraska operation would serve as a model to Bud Karsten, who owns Karco Recycling and has purchased 17 acres of property just southeast of the Illinois 13 and 148 intersection so he can build a recycling center, complete with car grinder. The property was recently annexed into Marion from the county.

The multi-million-dollar operation Karsten envisions would be built in phases, with a grinder not expected to become a part of the operation initially.

"I am convinced that if the Karco facility is built in the proper fashion, there would be no vibrations (felt by the use of the grinder)," Butler said.

The mayor said the council had gone to great lengths to answer residents' concerns.

"We said we would do what we could to investigate the situation and we did," Butler said. "We went to Nebraska and saw and heard for ourselves what this recycling center was like. There is no comparison between this facility and the ones in Henderson, Ky., or Elkhart, Ind."

Residents who live near the Karsten property, however, weren't sold on the mayor's message.

"I'm not convinced that the concrete will protect the soil and water from being polluted," said Donna Howell, "or the air from the dust that's created by the grinder."

Howell said she is also worried about increased traffic on Illinois 148 and that her property values might diminish with a recycling plant practically in her backyard.

Mary Periman of Herrin said she resided at a trailer park next to Karco in Carbondale for eight years.

"I just wonder if the Karsten family would be willing to take part in a federally regulated environmental management program for the protection of their employees and residents of the area."

An emotional David Jennings said six generations of his family have lived on land near the proposed Karco site.

"We never anticipated this kind of thing going in," he said in reference to the plant.

Jennings said it's no more fair to build a recycling plant near his property and other residences than it would be to build in a subdivision such as Westernaire.

Linda Kinley, who also lives near the Karsten property, was the most animated with her comments. She berated the mayor and council for what she believes to be their support of the Karco project.

"Search your hearts," she said. "Would you want this next to your property?"

Butler said the council would make a decision at its meeting Monday to determine the fate of the Karco Recycling plant doing business in Marion.

Karsten did not attend Monday's meeting.

john.homan@thesouthern.com / 351-5805