May 6, 2020
Press Release from No Burn Broome
The Mayor’s Misstatements
Again, and again the Mayor of Endicott, Linda Jackson, in her emails and public statements – has misrepresented the truth about the Sungeel “recycling plant.”
Paul Connett, PhD, who is an advisor to No Burn Broome and who has helped communities in the USA and other countries fight incinerator proposals, says: “I am used to incinerator promoters using slippery PR to sell their product to communities, but Mayor Linda Jackson has issued so many misstatements, she tops them all. Our science team has contributed to the following list below and there are still more!”
The documentation for the misstatements below (and more) by the Mayor can be found here, https://noburnbroome.com/the-mayors-misstatements/
Mayor’s Claim: It is not an incinerator!
The Truth – The process involves burning of the toxic and dangerous gases produced by heating the battery materials (including plastics) to high temperatures. Robert Buettner, EPA’s Chief of the Air Compliance Branch, Region 2, says this facility will use a “CISWI” – an acronym for Commercial and Industrial Solid Waste Incinerator. Judith Enck, former Administrator for EPA Region 2, stated at the May 4 Public Hearing that this is an incinerator.
Mayor’s claim: It will only put out water vapor into the air
The Truth: DEC’s Air Permit allows it to put out at least four known human cancer-causing chemicals, including dioxin.
Mayor’s claim: the amount of dioxin it will emit will be no more than the dioxin you make when you start up your car!
The Truth: For this calculation the Mayor is relying on Sungeel’s grossly inadequate dioxin emission data. Cars were only a significant source of dioxin when they were using leaded gasoline which needed ethylene dichloride or ethylene dibromide to get lead out of the engine.
Mayor’s claim: We can’t stop Sungeel from coming
The Truth: According to No Burn Broome’s lawyer, “Sungeel has not received all the approvals it requires. It needs this Zoning change so that it can come into Endicott.”
Mayor’s claim: We need to vote on the zoning change to protect the community
The Truth: This zoning change is tailor-made to allow Sungeel to come into Endicott with no further oversight from the community. The Zoning change – which the Mayor wants to vote in on Thursday night (May 7 at 6 pm) – would also allow other facilities like Sungeel to come to any industrial zoned area in Endicott (about 500 acres which is almost 25% of the village). The Mayor’s definition of recycling includes “processing” which could include other high temperature operations, incineration, radiation – or worse. The Zoning change does not provide a definition for “processing” and because of that, the village, and the neighborhoods in west Endicott, will be UNPROTECTED. There is no requirement for a special use permit after this law passes.
Mayor’s claim: The community has had long enough to study the Sungeel project
The Truth: We learned from the Public Hearing on May 4 that the village board has never discussed it! The planning board said (March 16) that they did not have enough information. It wasn’t until No Burn Broome sounded the alarm three weeks ago that most people in Endicott became aware this was happening.
Mayor’s claim: This is a “done deal”
Here the Mayor is closer to the truth – but it is her “done deal”. She hopes to secure this deal via her phony “Recycling Facility” zoning change on which the Trustees will vote this Thursday evening (tomorrow) at 6 pm. The public will be able to observe the final act of the Mayor’s saga by Zoom (call-in details below).
The simple and overall truth is that the Mayor’s handling of this whole process threatens both the safety and democracy of our Village. Much of her dealing has been done in private. Only the final crucial act is visible – the vote for the zoning change on Thursday 6 pm.
Details for the Village of Endicott’s Thursday’s Zoom meeting when they will vote for the Zoning change:
Thursday, May 7, at 6 pm
Meeting Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84107049772
Meeting ID: 841 0704 9772
Dial in phone number: 1-929-436-286
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