Rally to oppose Thermal “Waste-to-Energy” Facilities

On Monday, April 9th at 10am,  environmental justice groups, environmental organizations, community leaders and elected officials from Brooklyn, the Bronx and Manhattan will rally to oppose the Bloomberg administration’s plan for thermal “Waste-to-Energy” facilities (a.k.a. incinerators). Two of the proposed sites for this facility are on the shores of Newtown Creek, and our communities host 40% of the city’s waste transfer facilities, so we are adding our voice to the cause. Click here for our previous post on the issue, and download two fact sheets on Waste-to-Energy here and here.

When: Monday, April 9th, 10 am

Where: NYC Economic Development Corporation (EDC), 110 William Street (between Fulton and John Streets)

Who: NYC Environmental Justice Alliance, Organization of Waterfront Neighborhoods, NY Lawyers for the Public Interest, UPROSE, The Point CDC, Youth Ministries for Peace & Justice, El Puente, Nos Quedamos, NYPIRG, OUTRAGE, elected officials, and other community leaders.

Why: The Bloomberg Administration will meet with companies seeking contracts to build “thermal waste-to-energy” facilities at 10 am Monday. Thermal “waste-to-energy” (WTE) facilities rely on incineration-based technologies, are regulated as incinerators by the U.S.E.P.A. and are likely to be sited in environmentally overburdened communities of color or historically overburdened communities like Staten Island’s Fresh Kills.

Protestors will denounce this risky, unnecessary and polluting experimental attempt to site thermal WTE facilities in the nation’s densest urban center. (There are currently no commercial scale thermal WTE facilities operating in the U.S.) Following Monday morning’s bidder’s conference, City and industry officials will tour several potential sites, such as Fresh Kills, where they will be met by protestors, including elected officials.

Want to take more action?

Call Speaker Quinn (212-788-7210) right away and tell her that:

• We THANK her for her leadership and support in passing the 2006 Solid Waste Management Plan – however, two communities in Brooklyn still handle an unfair share of the City’s garbage!

• The Council must FINISH THE JOB – Support legislation to reduce the waste capacity of land-based waste transfer stations handled in overburdened communities. Make sure that each borough handles its own garbage.

• The Council must SAY NO TO INCINERATORS – the “thermal Waste-to-Energy” Industry offers the same toxic incinerator pollution under a different name to our already overburdened communities.