In Rohnert Park, California, a new industrial facility is at the center of a heated local debate. On one side is Resynergi, a company proposing a cutting-edge “advanced recycling” plant that promises a clean, sustainable solution to plastic waste. On the other side is a community deeply concerned about a lack of transparency and the potential environmental and health risks of a project located less than 1,000 feet from a high school. This dispute has reached a critical point, as a public comment period for the facility’s air permit from the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) is scheduled to conclude on Aug. 18, 2025.
The conflict is a study in competing narratives. Resynergi CEO Brian Bauer describes the plant’s patented process, Continuous Microwave Assisted Pyrolysis (CMAP), as a modern marvel. According to him, the technology uses microwave energy to breakdown plastic polymers into liquid pyrolysis oil in an oxygen-free environment. “There’s no burning, there’s no incineration,” Bauer stated, adding that the process results in a 68% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared to drilling for crude oil. The company’s materials emphasize a “closed loop system” that is “safe and clean for local neighborhoods.”
Yet, the project’s opponents point to official documents and expert analysis that challenge this portrayal. Environmental expert Jane Williams, in a meeting with residents, noted that the BAAQMD’s own permit application classifies the facility as an “incinerator,” directly contradicting the company’s claims. This distinction is significant, as the plant relies on a thermal oxidizer to burn off “light gases” created during the process, which some see as a form of incineration…