See original letter at http://fluoridealert.org/wp-content/uploads/endicott.jackson-letter-to-town-of-union.9-14-20.pdf
This is in response to the letter w received from the Town of Union. I appreciate the
opportunity to address the town of Union, and their audiences, on this important issue.
The PFAS are being addressed by the DEC. That is their job to regulate this aspect of a
business. That is why they are the lead agency. They have held up this process until the PFAS are addressed. This project will not move forward until this is satisfactorily remedied. We plan on having our own independent company review this DEC report. Please note – no additional chemicals will be used.
Nanoparticles are not currently a regulated pollutant; there is no test method. We were
exposed to nanoparticles long before long before the word was coined. We may find that the installation of a lithium battery recycling plant will reduce our reliance on internal combustion engines, and thus reduce nanoparticles, and other pollutants, overall!
FYI-The EPA has determined that this process is not regulated by their rules. So, any
concerns brought up on this process are not from this agency.
The Village is working on a split sampling of groundwater with the contractors of the
IBM spill, Dec and Health Department. We want a confirmation that this contamination
reporting is correct. We feel more confident that we can now trust the DEC to look out for our interests.
All manufacturing, and even all of our vehicles, have emissions. The key is to use our
new technology to promote clean energy guidelines. That is what our goal is. We must learn from our past contaminations, and make our Village safe and secure. We are hoping our clean energy technology will reduce our reliance on fossil fuels altogether!
The Village has been industrial for over 100 years. Long before most houses, ball fields,
parks, etc. this is not something new. I live near here, and my grandson has played baseball at those fields for years. I am invested in this safety. That is why we have taken this project so seriously.
I have been researching this process and company since I first took office in January.
(See my channel 12 interview in January!) I took residents’ concerns to the State Office
Building in Binghamton in February. (The Village opposes any company who will harm our
Village!) There, I was told this was already welcomed by the former Mayor and Union Endicott School Board in May of 2019. I still demanded answers, and was finally granted a meeting with this company, the DEC, other politicians, and from the Strategic Business development – in March. Equipped with questions from Dr. Upreti, protege of Dr. Whittingham, I gathered information on this process and batteries in general. When I returned with my answers, I was told these answers match the safe recycling plant in Toronto, Canada. I did not stop there. I have continued to bring resident’s concerns to the company, the DEC, and other experts who are actually working in these related fields. We have done our due diligence, and reported the same.
We contacted an independent source, Barton and Lodigdice. The company called in
Cornell and Montana Universities for additional studies. I have not received any actual facts to the contrary of what I have learned.
I have made attempts to educate the Residents on the research I have done, but many
are still confused. With so much mis information and mis placed fear constantly circulated, I am sure it is overwhelming.
All the misinformation is coming from social media, especially face book. People are
seeing things on the internet, and applying them to this facility. However, their internet stories have nothing to do with this facility! And, people’s personal opinions are not fact. A lot of this is just to cause fear, and is unfounded.
The acquisitions that we have not listened to our residents is false. We listen to all our
residents, not just the special interest group. This group does not believe our answers because the answers did not go along with their agenda. Some keep hammering us with the same misinformation, and get angry we do not agree with them.
Many people against this project have also said they do not care how safe it is. They do
not want any industry in Endicott at all. However, none of them has found any alternative
businesses since IBM left. Some say they are for business, but have provided no proof or ideas! They just complain about this project, yet offer nothing constructive.
Some of us, on the board, do not have the luxury of concentrating on just our own
agenda. We have many other projects to take care of for the Village. We do not have the time to correct all the misinformation regarding this process.
Corrections: This is NOT an incinerator! No hazmat suits will be required, only steel toed
shoes and hard hats. The storage building will not just be sheet metal. Walls will be cement blocks, a foot thick, with a fire suppression system, and inferred alert system -verified by our Village Fire Department.
Everything I have found is on our Village Web site. I have sent much evidence to the
Town by way of Councilman Augostini. We have been researching this company for nine
months now, and have found no facts to cause alarm. But I do not work for this company, and am not an expert in this field. I suggest you contact the DEC, or battery experts working in this field, directly for facts.
FYI-Hearing of Visitors is not a requirement of any Municipality. We could get rid of the
hearing of Visitors all together like the Broome County Legislature. We choose a compromise.
But, we cannot devote a lot of Village Busines time to one subject. One that has
previously been discussed repeatedly, with nothing new or constructive to add, or is just one group’s agenda. We put the Hearting of Visitors at the end of our meeting, for now, because we need to take care of Village business first. We are still available by phone or email, etc. if people are really interested in talking to us. An audience is not necessary.
Our area has spiraled downward since IBM left. These good paying jobs can help
families and businesses Getting rid of all industry will destroy our economy. Nothing has been brought in to replace it! Endicott will end up being a ‘ghost town’ like the steel factory towns!
We in the Village would never do anything, intentionally, that would cause harm to our
residents. That is why we have spent so much time investigating this one issue. Clean energy i’s the way of our future!
Thank you for your concerns. We look forward to a long, and beneficial, working
relationship with the Town of Union.
Village of Endicott Mayor, Linda Jackson
See original letter at http://fluoridealert.org/wp-content/uploads/endicott.jackson-letter-to-town-of-union.9-14-20.pdf
NoBurnBroome 