By:Randy Lewis

At last nights Monroe City Council meeting, council voted 6-1 in favor of continuing the fight against the building of the SunCoke plant in Middletown. Monroe plans on filing an appeal with the Ohio Environmental Review Appeals Commission, which reviews regulatory actions of Ohio EPA.

A large number of Monroe residents are all for the fight and want council to keep moving forward. Monroe has spent close to $500,000 to stop the coke plant from being built. One Monroe resident told MiddletownUSA.com “I am a homeowner in both Middletown & Monroe. I care deeply about both cities and want the border war to stop but I understand Monroe wanting to keep the air clean for everyone. I support Council in this fight. They get the big picture that 75 jobs (providing the existing AK Coke plant doesn’t shut down) isn’t a lifesaver. People are what makes (or breaks) a town.”

In a phone interview given to MiddletownUSA.com, one Middletown City Council member said, They (Monroe) feel like they have a cause and that’s there business. AK and Coke have been in Middletown for years; no one had a problem when they worked there. Really it’s a Middletown issue and Middletown is a steel town. How many Monroe residents will apply for jobs there when it does go through? 

The coke plant received approval from Ohio Environmental Protection Agency to build it $360 million coke plant.