A new billboard on Belmont Avenue and Burlington street is protesting the SOBE Thermal Energy plant in downtown Youngstown. 

The billboard was funded by a grant obtained for Youngstown, an environmental justice community, through Buckeye Environmental Network. 

The Love Your Neighbor block watch allowed Youngstown residents to view the SOBE Concerned Citizens billboard and address concerns about the plastics and tire recycling plant at a meeting on January 9. 

During the meeting, Youngstown residents addressed types of pollution currently impacting their neighborhoods using the U.S. EPA Environmental Justice EJ Screen.

Attendees were also able to submit complaint forms online telling the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio about their concerns with SOBE. 

SOBE is a Dublin based company planning to set up in Youngstown and Lowellville to use waste, plastics and tires to create gas and electricity. 

SOBE Concerned Citizens will meet Tuesday, January 24 at the new billboard to further discuss air pollution concerns with the SOBE plant. 

SOBE Thermal Energy hopes to be up and running next summer.