Jack Daniel’s Ordered to Halt Barrel House Construction as ‘Whiskey Fungus’ Takes Over Community
Whiskey fungus? Don’t worry, you won’t find it in your drink. But it is aerial, and a real problem for the residents of Lincoln County, Tennessee. Ethanol vapors from nearby whiskey barrelhouses have spawned the black…
Whiskey fungus? Don’t worry, you won’t find it in your drink. But it is aerial, and a real problem for the residents of Lincoln County, Tennessee.
Ethanol vapors from nearby whiskey barrelhouses have spawned the black muck covering everything nearby: Homes, cars, street signs, tree bark and leaves.
The fungus, properly known as Baudoinia compniacensis, has been a problem for Lincoln County since 2018 when Jack Daniel’s began building barrelhouses in the area. There are six now, with plans to build 14 more, according to Insider.
Angry residents have both health and financial worries, such as declining property values.
“I’m extremely concerned. My wife has breathing problems,” said Patrick Long, a nearby resident. “One of the neighbors got cancer. It’s in the air. And you really, probably don’t want to be breathing that in. But nobody has done a test to determine if it’s actually poisonous.”
Long’s wife, Christi, runs an events venue next to the barrelhouses and is suing the county zoning office. She claims it improperly approved the building permits, according to BBC.
In the meantime, J.B. Cox, the Lincoln County Chancellor, issued a court order to stop construction after ruling the permit process was not completed.