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3h ago

Resynergi to Pull Equipment From Rohnert Park, Citing Likely Move Out of California

The plastics-to-oil startup attributes the exit to California permitting hurdles and is pursuing relocation to a site with clearer industrial zoning.

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A pile of plastics is seen during a tour of recycling plant Resynergi in Rohnert Park in August.
Resynergi is focused on plastic bags and other hard-to-recycle types of plastic. 
Residents stand in front of Rohnert Park’s City Hall to protest the proximity of plastics recycling plant Resynergi.

Overview

  • Resynergi says it will remove its microwave-assisted pyrolysis equipment from the SOMO Village site within weeks and shift operations to an undisclosed out-of-state location.
  • CEO Brian Bauer cited California regulatory barriers as the driver for the move, with the company seeking faster approvals, financial incentives, and industrially zoned sites elsewhere.
  • The planned facility drew sustained neighborhood pushback near Credo High School, with petitions, packed council meetings, and claims the project was incompatible with mixed-use zoning.
  • The Bay Area Air Quality Management District issued violation notices on Aug. 6, 18 and 20, a stop-work order on Aug. 20 halted progress, and county health and Cal/OSHA reviews were initiated this month.
  • City staff approved the project in December 2024, but it still needed final air district approval; the district’s risk analysis estimated a 6.9-in-a-million weekday cancer risk, below its compliance threshold.