SCHUMER ANNOUNCES OPPOSITION TO PLAN TO BRING TRASH INCINERATOR TO SENECA COUNTY; SCHUMER SAYS INCINERATOR WOULD BE A GUT PUNCH TO THE REGIONAL ECONOMY, PUT PUBLIC HEALTH AT RISK AND HARM THE ENVIRONMENT; SENATOR VOWS TO SNUFF OUT INCINERATOR IN ITS TRACKS

The  Proposed Location Is Located Less Than Four Miles From Both The Seneca Lake And Cayuga Lake Shorelines And Just Miles From The Nearby Ontario County Landfill And The Seneca Meadows Landfill; Schumer Says New Incinerator Is Not Needed And Is Wrong For The Finger Lakes 

Schumer Warns The Proposed Incinerator Would Ship In Solid Waste Into The Heart Of The Finger Lakes And Burn Up To 2,640 Tons Of Garbage Per Day; Schumer Says The Project Is Incongruous With Finger Lakes Area Which Is An Ecologically Unique Region That Is Home To Some Of New York State’s Most Important Agricultural And Economic Resources

Schumer: Keep Your Trash Out Of The Rochester- Finger Lakes Region

U.S. Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer today announced strong opposition to proposed plans to construct a waste-to-energy trash incinerator facility on a 48-acre site in the Town of Romulus, New York. Schumer said the incinerator could have a disastrous effect on the Finger Lakes’ regional economy and vowed to work with key stakeholders to stop the project from coming to fruition.

“Simply put, this incinerator is wrong for the Finger Lakes- and I will fight tooth and nail to ensure that this trash incinerator is snuffed out in its tracks,” said Senator Schumer. “Not only would this incinerator spell disaster for the region’s economy, it would also have a negative impact on the environment. Even more, this plan could spoil the Finger Lakes’ natural beauty and put at risk the region’s hundreds of family vineyards, wineries, craft beverage and other businesses that contribute to tourism and support 60,000 local Finger Lakes jobs.  Today, I join local and state officials to call for this project to be stopped in its tracks.  The community opposition to this project is resounding; it is clear to me that Seneca County is not, and will never be a good location for this incinerator. I have and will continue to fight to protect local residents and preserve the Finger Lakes jobs and $2.9 billion agri-tourism industry here that could be at risk under this incinerator plan.” 

Schumer explained that the incinerator would ship in solid municipal waste into the heart of the Finger Lakes and burn up to 2,640 tons of garbage per day.  He argued that the proposed plan would deeply damage this ecologically unique region that is home to some of New York State’s most important visual, agricultural and natural resources. Additionally, the proposed incinerator would have negative impacts both at the 48-acre site and beyond, threatening the environmental and economic health of communities throughout the region as well as the Finger Lake’s foundational tourism and agricultural sectors that generate an annual $2.9 billion in economic activity with their wineries, breweries, restaurants, farms and other attractions that together support 60,000 local jobs. 

Schumer added the proposed incinerator would produce emissions of pollutants harmful to human health and the environment including dioxins, furans, lead, mercury, arsenic, chromium, particulates, hydrochloric acid, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen oxides. Several of those gasses are significant contributors to global warming, and – to the greatest degree possible – our policies should be focused on reducing those emissions, not creating new sources to produce them. Moreover, when toxic air pollution – much of it from Midwestern coal and other power plants – poisoned Upstate New York lakes and rivers with acid rain, Schumer helped lead the charge to reduce the source pollutants causing this crisis. It would be a profound and ill-advised step backward to build a new facility here in New York to produce those very same air pollutants impacted communities worked so hard to reduce, and which has had such a positive impact on our environment and economy.  These pollutants would be emitted from a new 260-foot tall smokestack built at the site and visible from far distances. Moreover, located in the shadow of the stack is the K-12 Romulus Central School which sits just 3,200 feet from the proposed incinerator site. The incinerator would also produce a significant amount of toxic ash, a byproduct that itself would require disposal. Alternative proposals for the former Seneca Army Depot suggested by some stakeholders, such as the construction of a solar farm to create jobs and clean energy would likely better meet the local communities’ desires. 

Schumer emphasized that the incinerator’s proposed site is located less than four miles from both the Seneca Lake and Cayuga Lake shorelines, which serve as sources of drinking water for thousands of Finger Lakes residents.  Additionally up to 238 trucks per day, followed eventually by rail cars, would haul in municipal waste through communities, putting additional strain on local roads and bridges that are already overburdened. The site of the proposed incinerator is located just miles from the nearby Ontario County Landfill and the Seneca Meadows Landfill which can accept 2,999 tons of waste/day and 6,000 tons of waste/day respectively. Schumer explained Seneca County, as home to the state’s largest municipal landfill Seneca Meadows already accepts a disproportionate share of waste from far beyond its borders, along with the corresponding share of the burdens that come when New York State’s largest municipal landfill, Seneca Meadows, is located in your community.

Schumer is one of the identified federal stakeholders in the final Public Involvement Plan (PIP) submitted by Circular energy LLC to the Public Service Commission (PSC) on May 14, 2018, to provide input, consultation, and comment on the applicant’s Article 10 application to construct a waste-to-energy trash incinerator facility.  Today, Schumer sent a letter to the Public Service Commission to convey his comments on the applicant’s forthcoming application and called on the Siting Board to reject it.  In addition to the comments Schumer made today in his letter to the NYS PSC, Schumer also noted that beyond the NYS PSC Article 10 process and other necessary state permits, were the project to move ahead it would also likely require Federal approvals, including a federal Clean Air Permit.  Schumer said should the need arise, he would not support the issuance of a Clean Air Permit and would urge the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) against granting it. Additionally, Schumer noted additional impacts to wetlands could occur and may require assessment by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) under the Clean Water Act.  Likewise, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS), which enforces the federal Endangered Species Act, Migratory Bird Treaty Act, and Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, may be required to assess the incinerator’s negative impacts to wildlife and habitats.

Schumer was joined by Finger Lakes residents, business owners, and officials including New York State Senator 54th District Pam Helming, Chairman Seneca County Board of Supervisors Robert Shipley, Supervisor Town of Romulus David Kaiser, Supervisor Town of Fayette Cindy Garlick Lorenzetti, Will Ouweleen Secretary of the Finger Lakes Wine Business Coalition and winemaker at O-Ne-Dah and Eagle Crest Vineyards, Joseph Campbell President of Gas Free Seneca and Seneca Lake Guardian, Mary Anne Kowalski Board member with Seneca Lake Guardian, David Locke with Seneca Lake Guardian, Yvonne Taylor, Co-Founder and Vice President of Gas Free Seneca.

Schumer vowed to work with local officials to prevent the construction and said that the fact that the trash incinerator proposal has been opposed by the Finger Lakes region’s State Senate and Assembly delegations, every county government, and nearly every local government in the Finger Lakes region, including Romulus and the Romulus School Board, illustrates just how out-of-step the plan is with the local community.

A copy of Schumer’s letter appears below:

Dear Chairman Rhodes:

As you know, Pursuant to Section 1000.4 of the rules of the New York State Board on Electric Generation Siting and the Environment (the Siting Board), Circular enerG, LLC submitted its final Public Involvement Plan (PIP) to the Public Service Commission on May 14, 2018, that, in part, identifies affected agencies and stakeholders to provide input, consultation, and comment on the applicant’s Article 10 application to construct a waste-to-energy trash incinerator facility on a 48-acre site in the Town of Romulus, New York.  As one of the identified federal stakeholders in the PIP, I write to convey my opposition to and concerns about this proposed project and urge the Siting Board to reject it.   

This incinerator, which would ship in solid waste into the heart of the Finger Lakes and burn up to 2,640 tons of garbage per day, is incongruous with this ecologically unique region that is home to some of New York State’s most important visual, agricultural and natural resources. It would have negative impacts both at the 48-acre site and beyond, threatening the environmental and economic health of communities throughout the region as well as the Finger Lake’s foundational tourism and agricultural sectors that generate an annual $2.9 billion in economic activity with their wineries, breweries, restaurants, farms and other attractions that together support 60,000 local jobs. 

The proposed incinerator would produce emissions of pollutants harmful to human health and the environment including dioxins, furans, lead, mercury, arsenic, chromium, particulates, hydrochloric acid, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen oxides. Several of those gasses are significant contributors to global warming, and – to the greatest degree possible – our policies should be focused on reducing those emissions, not creating new sources to produce them. Moreover, when toxic air pollution – much of it from Midwestern coal and other power plants – poisoned Upstate New York lakes and rivers with acid rain, I helped lead the charge to reduce the source pollutants causing this crisis. It would be a profound and ill-advised step backward to build a new facility here in New York to produce those very same air pollutants we worked so hard to reduce, and which has had such a positive impact on our environment and economy.  These pollutants would be emitted from a new 260-foot tall smokestack built at the site and visible from far distances. Moreover, located in the shadow of the stack is the K-12 Romulus Central School which sits just 3,200 feet from the proposed incinerator site. The incinerator would also produce a significant amount of toxic ash, a byproduct that itself would require disposal. Alternative proposals for the former Seneca Army Depot suggested by some stakeholders, such as the construction of a solar farm to create jobs and clean energy would likely better meet the local communities’ desires.

Beyond the Town of Romulus, this incinerator proposed by Circular EnerG, a company that has no experience building or operating a solid waste incinerator facility, would negatively impact other Finger Lakes communities.  The incinerator’s proposed site is located less than four miles from both the Seneca Lake and Cayuga Lake shorelines, which serve as sources of drinking water for thousands of Finger Lakes residents.  Additionally up to 238 trucks per day, followed eventually by rail cars, would haul in municipal waste through communities, putting additional strain on local roads and bridges that are already overburdened. The site of the proposed incinerator is located just miles from the nearby Ontario County Landfill and the Seneca Meadows Landfill which can accept 2,999 tons of waste/day and 6,000 tons of waste/day respectively. Indeed the Seneca County community already accepts a disproportionate share of waste from far beyond its borders, along with correspending share of the burdens that come when New York State’s largest municipal landfill, Seneca Meadows, is located in your community.

For all of these reasons, this trash incinerator project should not be approved.  As further evidenced by the fact that this trash incinerator proposal has been opposed by every county government and nearly every local government in the Finger Lakes region, including Romulus and the Romulus School Board, this plan is out-of-step with the local community and will create negative consequences if ever permitted.  I appreciate your consideration of my concerns and opposition to this proposal. 

Sincerely,

Charles E. Schumer 

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