A Pennsylvania engineering consultancy is seeking to impose sanctions on chemical recycling startup Encina Development Group, for its work relating to a project that was ultimately canceled.
Local media reported that Rettew Associates filed a motion March 11 in US Middle District Court seeking sanctions against Texas-headquartered Encina Development Group, which canceled plans for a $1.1 billion plastics recycling facility in Point Township, Pennsylvania, in 2024.
In the filing, Rettew said Encina counsel John Richardson of Bernstein-Burkley prolonged legal proceedings by filing meritless defenses and counterclaims, forcing unnecessary discovery, with a motive to delay judgment to cloud Encina’s true financial condition and “lure unsuspecting investors.”
In January, Rettew won $492,000 in a consent judgment to resolve its initial suit, looking to force Encina to pay four invoices totaling more than $225,000. In a counterclaim, Encina said the bills were unjustified, because of performance issues that the company alleged contributed to canceling the project.
The project had a planned capacity of 450,000 tons/year of used plastics, but faced community opposition.
