Barton Lawsuit

[brendaj]

Here's something to watch...

Local distiller sued for emissions, odors

[smokinjoe]

Whatever they do, I hope they don't eliminate that "smell of prosperity" as Chuck describes it in his book. The yeasty aroma that wafts through town during the mashing is something I look forward to every time I go to the Festival.:yum:

[ThomasH]

I wonder if this Dallas guy has ever drank any bourbon? If so, he helped the "problem" along. Also, it would seem that Dallas was born in 1960 or 1961 and Barton has been there at least back to 1946 and probably longer. It would seem Dallas moved into what he deems the problem area. I work in a Steel mill and people say I breathe in stuff just as bad as 2nd hand smoke. The only difference is, working in the mill makes me money, someone else smoking cigarettes costs them money. If this "soot" was caused by some coal fired power plant in China (which is currently happening to the West coast of the US) not a thing would be done about it!

Thomas

[jbutler]

He should move to L.A. and then he'd realize just how good he's got it.

[Virus_Of_Life]

Amen to that Jim! You took the words right out of my mouth.

[CrispyCritter]

It makes me think of the yuppies who moved into lofts in what was once a dairy storage facility in Chicago's South Loop, right next to a rail junction at 16th and Clark - and then bi***ed about the noise from the trains. They actually petitioned to have a 100-plus-year-old rail line shut down! :rolleyes::rolleyes:

FWIW, I live about 1/10 mile from a heavily-used rail line - and I hardly notice the trains!

[cowdery]

Here it's the people who move into my neighborhood, then bitch about the traffic, noise and other problems related to ball games at Wrigley Field.

Actually, with the distilleries, they are all constantly in discussions with the state and federal EPA because the vapor released by the aging whiskey in warehouses is a measurable hydrocarbon emission.

[TimmyBoston]

This makes me furious, so many tort lawyers are going crazy. Anyone who is offended by the slightest thing, they sue. And so many companies have to settle a frivalous case or face an endless lineup of lawsuits, and in meantime, valid lawsuits are slid down the docket to make way for trumped up, high profile ones.

No one is forcing you to live near a distillery, if you don't like the odor, move, it's very simple.

[brendaj]

Well folks, this is a double-edged sword for me. I live at Ground Zero. My complex is built on the site of the old Mattingly & Moore distillery (right next door to Barton's). There has been a distillery here since 1877. And yes, to a point I agree with everything you're saying. I love opening my door to the smell of cooking mash. Chuck's right...smells like money to me... The noxious odor referred to in the story was a one-time incident in Barton's lagoon that happened because the pump that aerates it went bad.

I am not the least bit interested in watching Barton get hammered. They've been wonderful to me, and I believe Bardstown owes much to Barton, and the Bourbon industry in general.

On the other hand, I lost a potential renter just last week because the buildings looked 'so dirty'. We pressure wash twice a year, and that's not enough. We realize that the mold is a product of aging whiskey, and it's just something we deal with. However, my landlord has been hospitalized twice in the last month for nausea and other symptoms consistant with what Mr. Armstrong is saying. (I'm lucky in that it doesn't affect me like that. Maybe all the Bourbon I drink makes me immune...maybe that's the answer, everyone should drink more Bourbon...:slappin:). If those issues are a result of something Barton's stack is pumping into the air, I'd hope that would be corrected. That said, I would love to hear Bobby Cox weigh-in here, as he lives just as close to Jim Beam. I have several friends that live close to Maker's and HH. And, while they deal with some degree of mold, they don't seem to be dealing with the same health issues.

I will try to keep y'all posted,

Bj

[bobbyc]

I would love to hear Bobby Cox weigh-in here, as he lives just as close to Jim Beam.

I have a little black mold on my gutters, it isn't bothering me enough to wash it off.

My son has a listing of a home in Clermont for sale.One of the big brokerage houses called him about it and made the comment that it stinks in Clermont. I'll give them that the lagoon ponds do but I never notice it up here. We had a discussion about whether we are so used to it we don't notice it anymore.

The thing they could do to upset me is if they decided to develop some of the lands they own for residential. Very unlikely.

I have an equation that has black mold and a few warehouses on one side and a few hundred houses, a couple hundred people, 50-4 wheelers, 2 dozen people exercising their 2nd amendment rights and wanting to do it on my property.............

Black mold is a problem?

[Chaz7]

In the Rocky Mountain States we have what is called "The Code of the West". It is a series of articles letting people know in advance what they are in for when they move to the country. It tells of things to expect such as dirt roads, livestock (and their own emmissions), limited health care, and other things I grew up with (and took for granted) in Oklahoma. But in Colorado, they need to spell it out; however, farmers get sued because of their livestock (they stink...), people demand small (and limited income) townships to improve the roads, requests are made to aquire trash collection companies, and every thing you can think of to be changed, changed. Kinda defeats the purpose of getting away from it all. I mean, isn't it in the Constitution every American citizen is entitled to a Starbucks within 100 yards of their homes? I would move to Bardstown in a minute if I didn't own my own business and had too many things (life, what can I say) tying me down. Some days, I feel we are becoming a very selfish, ME-centric society. Do I feel for the claiments? Certainly, but how long have they been residents? What made them move there in the first place? I would bet it would be the quality of life. If Barton's is knowingly and willingly polluting, and there are in fact steps they could take to improve their facilies, of course they should improve. Now if you will excuse me, I need to get back with my attorney; it seems the Hot Brown I had this spring in Louisville may not have been the health food I felt it should have been. We need to legislate it so it is using organically grown tofu instead of ham, and I am thinking the gravy needs to be swapped for a soy milk based product.

[bobbyc]

Kentucky Standard Article

[melting]

Surprised to hear someone from Kentucky complain about people excercising their second ammendment rights. Almost the strangest thing I've heard all week.

[bobbyc]

So you're up for having people you don't know show up in your yard armed to the teeth?

[melting]

Well don't take it to extremes. If they are actually on your property that could be a problem, but what are the odds. If they are not and you are just concerned about having more neighbors instead of unoccupied land that's quite another.

You should be glad that you don't live in Eastern Massachusetts like I do. Your second ammendment rights only apply as long as the local police chief says that they do.

[bobbyc]

This was always Fun

It is a trespassing/hunting issue, other than that, no problem.

[cowdery]

Trespassing by hunters and ATVers seems to be a big problem in Nelson County and even though most of the aggrieved property owners know who the trespassers are, there doesn't seem to be much they or the local law men can do about it. I don't know if this is a problem in similar semi-rural areas (although Nelson County likes to think of itself as rural, its population density is almost that of a suburb), maybe it's a problem everywhere, but I know it's a problem there from assorted people.

[FlashPuppy]

I grew up in the kind of area which you are talking about Chuck. Yes, I do think that is just part of living "in the country".

[bobbyc]

Yes, I do think that is just part of living "in the country".

Come to think of it, this is a pretty easy and good place to live, for us anyway. Compared to other problems in other neighborhoods, my concerns are minor. I don't mind someone on an ATV if they are just passing thru and aren't doing any damage. You'd be surprized how someones judgement ability about such goes out the window when faced with the option of throwing rooster tails and doing donuts. It's just a field in the middle of the woods, what can it hurt?

12 year old kids with fishing poles aren't on anyones radar, thankfully. They don't try to hide and they often return with a stringer full of fish.

[melting]

Where I live it's like a small town that wants to become a big city and remain a rural town at the same time. The pols in charge can't seem to make up their mind. It's 35 minutes west of Boston and 15 minutes north of Worcester, the other major city in Massachusetts.

Lots of people have moved here in recent years due to the fact that housing is much more affordable than in the big cities. Also, I believe that they want to easier and much more relaxed pace of living that the small town provide It's provided a big boost of revenue for the town and also for the small mom and pop stores and restuarants in the surrounding area.

The only problem that seems to arrise is when the new arrivals are a young professional couple. We had an instance when a couple bought a really nice house in town. After a couple of months they were in the newspapers complaining about the particular odor that seems to come from the local farms during certain times of the year, especially when it's really hot and humid.

We had an issue last year when a couple moved in and within a month they were complaining about the fact that all the church bells would ring at certain times of the day. It was a total mess. One would believe that people would do a little more research into the area before they lay down 400,000 for a house.

Sorry this was so long but my wife will thank you all for letting me vent this out here instead of on here during her morning coffee.

Chris

[boone]

Here's a postcard of what "Barton's" looked like a long time ago...

The only house you can see is on the top of that hill.

Now, let me see...If we were going to build (or rent) a home...I think right beside this distillery would be a perfect place to live?

Bettye Jo

[BourbonJoe]

Wow, IIRC the place has not changed all that much. Neat photo Bettye Jo.

Joe

[dougdog]

Here's a postcard of what "Barton's" looked like a long time ago...

The only house you can see is on the top of that hill.

Now, let me see...If we were going to build (or rent) a home...I think right beside this distillery would be a perfect place to live?

Bettye Jo

Bettye Jo,

I see the same thing out west...folks build/move in next door to an airport, and after enough of them gain a big enough voice, they try and close it down...substitute the word airport for distillery etc...you get my drift...

I have never understood this mentality...

I don't think I want to understand this mentality...

dp

[cowdery]

In my neighborhood it's Wrigley Field which, after all, was built in 1914, so you knew there was a major league ballpark in the neighborhood before you moved here.

[FlashPuppy]

In my neighborhood it's Wrigley Field...

Chuck,

I was under the assumption that Wrigleyville was a, you know, f*g neighborhood....