By Linda Jackson, Guest Columnist
November 29, 2020.
Press and Sun-Bulletin, Binghamton NY, page B6.
People have been asking if the battery recycling company is still coming to the Village of Endicott. I have no idea!
As far as I know, the company in South Korea has not sent any data to the state Department of Environmental Conservation to apply for their new air permit, but I do not know any of the details. This is their choice.
I have attempted to educate the anti-battery people by gathering information from independent experts and working scientists in these fields. This special interest group refuses to accept proven facts that do not support their agenda. They accuse supporters of slander and misinformation when it is them who is committing this infraction. This obstinance is depriving many people of good-paying, entry-level jobs.
This special-interest group accuses me of not letting them speak because I refuse to be bullied into allowing them to commandeer our Village Board business meetings for their agendas. Just because I do not personally agree with them does not mean I am ignoring them. I did listen and checked out their concerns. I found them to be unwarranted. If they were really interested in the environment, they would realize that clean energy is needed to replace the pollutants of fossil fuels and limit some combustion engine emissions.
It is sad that some people could not understand the code change to add recycling to our code was intended to enforce restrictions and limiting multi products. This will keep facilities, like a glass recycling facility, from mixing garbage in with the glass to be recycled and will eliminate the smell.
People against these projects have ignored other projects that could have benefited the village. None of these opponents have done anything to bring new businesses to Endicott. They have spent all year on this one project, with no beneficial conclusion.
I realize some have said they do not want any industry in the village. So, why did they put baseball fields and parks so close to industry to begin with? Industry, with huge black smokestacks, were here long before any houses or recreational areas. Our area needs good-paying, clean-energy jobs. Not empty buildings and empty promises.
As for me, I moved on long ago. I delivered the residents’ questions, found out the facts, reported the answers, did my due diligence, and executed what safeguards I could. I do not work for this or any other company and am not their PR person. I passed on as many facts as I could, and I have moved on. I have waited a long time to execute needed changes for the village. If some are still stuck on this issue, that is their choice.
Linda Jackson is the mayor of the Village of Endicott.
NoBurnBroome 