Tarion pitches pilot graphite and graphene processing at 36 West Pennsylvania Ave in Walkersville

Tarion Inc. told the Walkersville Planning Commission on July 14 that it plans to open a pilot graphite and graphene processing operation at 36 West Pennsylvania Ave and will submit a formal site plan for the commission's review.

"My name is Dustin Barra. I'm the CEO of Tarion Inc.," Barra said, introducing the company and its pilot proposal. He said the company would employ about 10 to 15 people at the site and operate primarily indoors in the former Hercules Custom Iron building.

Planning staff told the commission the site is zoned for industrial park use and reminded attendees that the property lies within a floodplain and a wellhead protection area, both of which must be addressed in the forthcoming site plan. "If they want to do site signage changes or new signs on an industrial site that requires planning commission approval," the planner said, citing the town's sign standards.

Barra described the company’s feedstock and containment strategy: Tarion plans to bring Pennsylvania anthracite in sealed containers (55‑gallon drums or sealed bulk sacks), open those containers indoors and keep processing and storage inside the building. "We don't store anything outdoors," Barra said, adding that deliveries would be monthly or quarterly, not constant.

Tarion's CTO, Pete Bapono, described the purification step as an acid digestion process that uses hydrochloric and nitric acids and potentially sulfuric acid. "We're working with hydrochloric, nitric, and potentially sulfuric," Bapono said. He and Barra said those acids would be recovered and sent to an industrial recycler rather than disposed of on-site, and that the company has engaged a hazmat consultant, Trinity Consultants, to draft and review spill‑response and hazardous‑materials plans against applicable regulations.

The company said the primary thermal processing uses electric furnaces in inert or vacuum atmospheres so that emissions are minimized. "The furnaces are electric ... so no gas, no combustible," Barra said. Tarion also plans enclosed CNC machining for shaping blocks and said water used for furnace cooling will be held in closed‑loop chillers and recycled rather than continuously withdrawn.

On scale, Barra described the Walkersville location as a demonstration pilot: he estimated pilot output in the range of about 5 to 20 tons per year, framed against national demand figures cited by the company. Barra said the business is pursuing broader commercial sites elsewhere but that any expansion at the Walkersville location would be guided by community preferences.

Staff and several commissioners asked detailed follow‑up questions about transport, noise, milling and review timing. Tarion said it will not perform onsite milling or pulverizing that could be noisy; instead, the company plans to receive material pre‑sized from Pennsylvania. The company said it has a five‑year lease with a 15‑month purchase option for the property and plans to file a full site plan "this month," working with local architect Banta Campbell.

Planner staff said they would review the site plan and that some elements, particularly hazmat and engineering controls, will require third‑party review and engineering sign‑offs before the plan is finalized for commission action.

A resident at the end of the meeting asked why a separate nearby property that changed use recently appeared to have moved through a different process; staff said they would research the prior application history to determine whether that change had been processed earlier or differently.

The commission recorded a unanimous voice vote earlier to approve minutes from its June 23 meeting and adjourned at the end of the session. Tarion left contact information and said it would coordinate the formal site plan submittal with planning staff.

Note: numerical production and national‑supply figures cited in this report are statements by company representatives and have not been independently verified by town staff.