Elkhart County Commissioners are in the process of trying to make peace between VIM Recycling in Elkhart and the people who live near the plant.

Relations have been tense between the two for years, peaking last June when the plant exploded, killing an employee.

Monday, commissioners met to discuss what could be looked at as a peace treaty. In technical terms, it’s called a Detailed Planned Unit Development, or DPUD.

"This was done to put another level of oversight at the county level to protect the neighbors and we're okay with that," says Tom Holt who represents VIM.

The DPUD would outline what can and can not be done on the property and give lawmakers substance to regulate.

"That was our entire intent today is just find a compromise between both parties," explains Commissioner Mike Yoder.

Here are a few examples of regulations outlined in the agreement.

1) VIM can only grind green woods, like storm debris, outside. They must grind most kinds of wood inside their building to eliminate dust spreading through the neighborhood.
2) Storage piles of wood can not be higher than 25 feet and top soil piles cannot exceed 50 feet.
3) The property will be surrounded with a 15 foot berm by next year. VIM representatives and the lawyer representing the neighbors disagree whether or not the materials used to make the current berm are environmentally friendly. IDEM is testing the materials and will ultimately decide.
4) VIM must comply with a progress report in one year.

"This is a company that willfully disregards the law," says Kim Ferraro, a lawyer representing the neighbors. "You can go back 15 years of records with IDEM and see that this is a company that's been violating its environmental permits and Title 5 and clean air act permits as well as solid waste and land management permits for years."

"Variety of studies on environment, human health, air quality…everything has come back negative,” says Commissioner Mike Yoder. “There's been no findings of anything detrimental to the environment out there."

County commissioners are expected to vote on a final draft on September 2nd.