MiddletownJournal.com

MIDDLETOWN — It could be a while before the burners of a proposed $300 million coke oven get fired up in Middletown, but preliminary talk of building such a facility is already producing some heat.

Several neighbors of the 157 acres where the state-of-the-art cokemaking and heat recovery plant would be located say they plan to do whatever it takes to keep it from coming there. They worry that a new coke plant would devalue their property and could possibly pose a health threat.

Frank Schiavone, a local attorney who has lived on Ohio 4 for 26 years, is leading the charge and says he's ready to take the matter to court if necessary. Schiavone, whose younger brother, David, serves on Middletown City Council, and his neighbors all received letters from the city last week notifying them of a public hearing on March 12 to rezone the 157 acres from residential to general industrial.

"I can't imagine them putting something like this in a residential area," said Carol Cowman, who lives next door to Schiavone with her husband, Robert.

Cowman's home sits about 100 feet away from the proposed site. The couple said they recently refurbished their home and a coke plant would sink their property values and make homes in the area harder to sell.

"We put a lot of heart, soul and money into this," Cowman said of her home.

AK Steel Corp. and SunCoke Energy Inc., of Knoxville, Tenn., have had preliminary discussions about partnering to build a new coke plant just off Ohio 4, near Garden Manor Retirement Village and Amanda School. SunCoke would build, own and operate the facility, while AK would agree to purchase coke and electricity produced by the plant.

AK already operates two coke ovens, however they only produce 75 percent of the metallurgical coke needed for the companies steelmaking operations in Middletown and Ashland, Ky.

The proposal is far from a done deal, as neither companies board of directors has given approval to date. Still, residents say they will be at the 6:30 p.m. rezoning hearing on Wednesday, March 12, and the Monroe City Council meeting on Tuesday, March 11, to voice their opposition. They are going to Monroe because many of their homes actually sit in the Monroe city limits.

SunCoke has an option to buy the land that is contingent on completing a number of federal, state and local requirements.