The SOBE Pyrolysis Fight: Understanding the Impact on Youngstown and the Role of the Ohio EPA

The SOBE Pyrolysis Fight: Understanding the Impact on Youngstown and the Role of the Ohio EPA

A Community Stands Against SOBE

"The Ohio EPA has kind of gone against the community's clear desire to not want this project," Stuart noted during the episode. "At the very least, they should be investigating it further instead of pushing it through."

On Valentine’s Day, community members and activists gathered in Youngstown, Ohio, for an event exposing the latest betrayal by the Ohio EPA: its approval of the controversial SOBE pyrolysis facility. The event, hosted by SOBE Concerned Citizens, highlighted local concerns over public health, environmental risks, and the role of state regulators in enabling potentially hazardous projects.

The Illusion of Pyrolysis: A Threat to Communities

Pyrolysis, often sold as “advanced recycling” or “waste-to-energy,” is a technology that claims to convert plastics and rubber into usable fuels or energy. However, real-world experience has shown that pyrolysis facilities often produce hazardous emissions, struggle with operational efficiency, and leave communities dealing with long-term pollution.

Across the country and around the world, pyrolysis plants have failed, but not before their investors and executives extracted millions in subsidies, grants, and investment capital. While we don't know the specifics of SOBE's financial picture, we can say that this project certainly fits within the mold we have seen elsewhere.

Initially halted by the city’s moratorium, SOBE seemed like a victory for local activists. But then, the Ohio EPA stepped in, overriding local opposition and granting the company an air permit. This move raises a critical question: why would a state agency push forward a project with so much local resistance and so many inherent risks?

What the Ohio EPA’s Decision Means

"This is a textbook case of regulatory capture," Jill added. "The Ohio EPA ignored opposition from residents, local officials, and even the federal EPA. That should tell you everything about who they really serve."

The Ohio EPA’s approval of the SOBE project has significant implications for Youngstown and other communities fighting against similar developments. This decision illustrates a pattern in which state agencies often act in favor of corporate interests over public health concerns.

Key Concerns Raised by Activists:

• Air Pollution Risks: Pyrolysis facilities are known to emit hazardous chemicals, including dioxins, furans, and heavy metals, which can pose severe health risks to nearby residents.

• Regulatory Overreach: By granting the air permit despite local opposition, the Ohio EPA effectively undermined Youngstown’s ability to regulate projects that affect its own residents.

• Environmental Impact: The long-term consequences of pyrolysis waste, including unregulated disposal of byproducts, could lead to land and water contamination.

By focusing on these immediate concerns, we can begin to see how this issue is not just about one facility—it reflects a broader struggle over who gets to decide what happens in a community.

Who Stands to Benefit from SOBE?

Understanding the players involved in this project is key to unpacking why it is moving forward despite clear risks.

• SOBE’s Leadership & Investors: What do we know about the people pushing this project? Are they local stakeholders, or do they have outside financial interests?

• State and Local Officials: It’s important to note that Youngstown officials predominantly oppose the project, citing safety and health concerns, whereas state-level officials seem more supportive.

• Industry Influence: How does this fit into larger trends in waste-to-energy lobbying and regulatory capture?

While we cannot say for certain how SOBE is financed, we know that pyrolysis facilities elsewhere have been used as vehicles for extracting public subsidies and private equity under the guise of an innovative 'green' solution, with little regard for long-term viability. This raises concerns about whether the project is truly designed for success—or if it will become yet another failed industrial site, adding to Youngstown’s long-standing burden of abandoned, contaminated facilities.

A Glimpse at the Bigger Picture: Industry Trends

"We keep trying to solve an unsolvable problem," Stuart observed. "We're digging all this toxic soup up from underground, burning it, and calling it progress. But each so-called solution just creates more problems."

Without going too deep into financial engineering, it’s important to note that projects like SOBE don’t exist in a vacuum. Across the country, we see industries using regulatory loopholes and financial incentives to push projects that might not otherwise survive.

• Plastic & Petrochemical Expansion: The push for pyrolysis is often linked to the plastic industry’s efforts to justify continued production of single-use plastics.

• Regulatory Capture: Agencies like the Ohio EPA sometimes favor industries over residents, prioritizing corporate-friendly policies over public health protections.

• State vs. Local Control: This fight in Youngstown reflects a broader trend where states override local governments to push through controversial projects.

This is just the beginning of a much larger discussion. The reality is that these schemes aren’t just occasional corporate misdeeds—they are deeply embedded into the structure of modern industrial finance. The same financial tactics that drove the 2008 housing crash—overinflated asset values, regulatory capture, profit extraction through shell companies, and deliberate asset dumping onto unsuspecting investors or the public—are at work in the energy industry.

And it’s not just in traditional oil, gas, and petrochemicals. The renewable energy and “green solutions” sector has become an even more perfect landscape for these schemes because they are backed by huge public subsidies, lack financial transparency, and can hide behind the positive messaging of sustainability. Whether it’s industrial solar, hydrogen, or waste-to-energy projects like SOBE, the financial structure driving these developments is increasingly looking like an orchestrated transfer of wealth from taxpayers to private investors, rather than a genuine push for energy solutions.

Where Do We Go from Here?

The fight against the SOBE pyrolysis facility is about more than just one project—it’s about whether communities like Youngstown have the power to say no to industries that could harm them. Moving forward, we’ll continue following the developments of this case while also expanding the conversation to uncover the financial tactics that allow these projects to keep getting approved.

For now, our focus is on SOBE: who is behind it, what risks it poses, and how the community can fight back. But in future episodes, we’ll be breaking down just how pervasive, fraudulent, and corrupt these financial schemes are—how they’ve infiltrated both fossil fuels and renewables, and how the public is being deceived into funding projects that may never deliver what they promise.

Engaging with the following organizations can help you get involved in addressing the SOBE pyrolysis facility issue in Youngstown, Ohio:

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 5

• Phone: 312-353-2000 or toll-free at 800-621-8431 (available 8:00 am to 4:30 pm Central Time)

• Email: r5hotline@epa.gov

• Website: EPA Region 5 Contact Information

Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (Ohio EPA)

• Phone: 614-644-3020

• Email: publicinterestcenter@epa.ohio.gov

• Website: Ohio EPA Contact Information

SOBE Concerned Citizens

• Website: SOBE Concerned Citizens

• Facebook Group: SOBE Concerned Citizens on Facebook

City of Youngstown

• Phone: 330-742-8701

• Website: City of Youngstown Official Website

Reaching out to these organizations can provide you with more information and avenues to participate in local efforts concerning the SOBE project.

---

Citations and Resources:

Ohio EPA Issues Permit for SOBE Thermal Energy Systems, LLC: Details the permit approval for SOBE's pyrolysis unit in Youngstown, Ohio.

SOBE Thermal Energy Systems, LLC Permit Comment Letter: A letter from the U.S. EPA Region 5 addressing concerns about the SOBE permit.

Environmental Impact of Different Scenarios for the Pyrolysis of Plastics: A study examining the environmental impacts of pyrolysis processes.

"Chemical Recycling": Backend Fix or Toxic Technology?: An article discussing the potential health effects of chemical recycling technologies like pyrolysis.

Group Wants EPA to Pull SOBE Permit: A news article covering local opposition to the SOBE project.

Chemical Recycling and Its Environmental Impacts: An article exploring the environmental and health concerns associated with chemical recycling.

Citizens Reject Issuance of Final Air Pollution Permit by OH EPA to SOBE Thermal's Pyrolysis Plans: A press release from a local citizens group opposing the SOBE project.

EPA Permits SOBE to Keep Its Process Hidden from Public: An article discussing the Ohio EPA's decision to grant trade secret protection to SOBE's process.

Chemical Recycling Issue Brief: A brief outlining the issues and concerns related to chemical recycling technologies.

SOBE Concerned Citizens of Youngstown To Stop SOBE Pollution: The official website of the local group opposing the SOBE project.

Are Pyrolysis Plants Harmful?: An article examining the potential harms of pyrolysis plants.

SOBE Thermal Energy Systems– Frequently Asked Questions: A FAQ document from the Ohio EPA regarding the SOBE project.

Pyrolysis Under Fire: Environmental and Health Concerns Cast Doubt on 'Miracle' Technology: An article questioning the viability and safety of pyrolysis technology.

Air Pollution Risks, Residents' Concerns Ignored in Ohio EPA's Decision to Approve SOBE Permit in Youngstown: A news release discussing the Ohio EPA's approval of the SOBE permit despite local opposition.

Plastic Waste-to-Fuel: Understanding the Key Risks: An article exploring the risks associated with converting plastic waste into fuel.

Ohio EPA Issues Permit for New Youngstown Plant: A news article covering the Ohio EPA's permit approval for the SOBE facility.

l content presented in this podcast is intended for informational and educational purposes and reflects the informed opinions, personal experiences, and perspectives of the hosts and guests. While we strive to present accurate and well-researched information, the views expressed may include personal interpretations of the topics discussed. We encourage listeners to explore further information and form their own conclusions. Any references to specific organizations, individuals, or events are based on publicly available information and/or personal anecdotes and are not intended to misrepresent or harm any entity or person. This podcast is protected under the First Amendment, and we stand by our right to engage in open, good-faith discussions on matters of public concern