Chester Residents Need Your Help (enviro-racism)

[Mike Ewall <catalyst@envirolink.org>]

Pennsylvania's largest garbage incinerator is seeking permits to become
even more of a nightmare to the residents of Chester.  American Ref-Fuel is
requesting a 10-year renewal of its waste permit, as well as seeking
various modifications to its existing waste and air permits.  This would
increase various capacity limits in their permits, allow them to burn more
hazardous types of waste (residual wastes), allow them to be lax in many
areas of their operations and do so with less stringent air testing.

Chester residents need your help by either writing public comments or
attending an upcoming public hearing.

DEP Public Hearing:           Thurs, Feb 4th, 1999 - 7:00 pm
Deadline for Public Comments: Thurs, Mar 4th, 1999

** PLEASE try to attend the public hearing on FEBRUARY 4th. **

DEP will hold a hearing on Feb. 4 to give the public an opportunity to
comment on waste and air applications that have been submitted to DEP by
American Ref-Fuel of Delaware County L.P. 

American Ref-Fuel purchased the facility from Waste Resource Energy Inc., a
subsidiary of Westinghouse Electric Corp., in April 1997.  (This is the
same month that they bought the York County, PA incinerator from
Westinghouse as well... just before Westinghouse became CBS.)

The hearing will be begin at 7 p.m. in the Chester High School auditorium,
9th and Penn streets in Chester. In the event of postponement due to
weather conditions, the meeting will be held on Feb. 11 at 7 p.m. at the
same location.  Crude directions are the the bottom of this message.

-->  IF YOU CAN'T ATTEND, please take the time to write a letter to DEP
asking them to turn down this permit.  

Chester has been targeted by the waste industry for a reason.  They are one
of the nation's leading examples of environmental racism.  The community
doesn't have the political clout to fight these corporations alone.  Please
take 10 minutes and help them out.

American Ref-Fuel is seeking permission to:

1. incorporate a daily precessing limit condition using steam flow (pounds
of steam produced) instead of the current permit limit of burning 2688 tons
per day of trash.  (This would possibly increase their capacity, which
already makes them the 4th largest incinerator in the nation!)

2. change the maximum acceptance limit from 4350 tons per day to a six day
average of 4350 tons, with the average to be calculated Mon-Sat of each
week.  They want to increase the daily maximum limit to 5800 tons of trash
per day.  They also want to be allowed to increase trash on the tipping
floor from 10,752 to 14,500 tons. 

3. have additional residual wastes to be added to its Residual Waste
permit, including water treatment sludge, paint, tank bottoms, rubber
elastomer, wood wastes, virgin petroleum fuel contaminated soil, burnt
demolition debris, cosmetic wastes, pharmaceutical waste, photographic
waste, leathers, finished wood wastes, styrofoam, tire chips, oily sludge,
etc. 

4. incinerate facility generated used oil (20 gallons per day).

5. eliminate stack seasonal testing requirements.

6. eliminate ash combustable content requirement (currently 5% by weight).
This would let them have more unburned waste come out of the incinerator.

7. eliminate requirement to make sure that temperature is maintained.

Copies of the waste and air applications are available for public review at
the J. Lewis Crozer Library, 620 Engle St., in Chester. The complete file
is available for public review at the DEP Southeast Regional Office in
Conshohocken. Appointments for scheduling a review at the regional office
may be made by calling DEP at 610 832-6268. 

Written comments will be accepted until March 4 and should be sent to John
J. Kennedy, Assistant Regional Director, DEP - Southeast Region, Lee Park,
Suite 6010, 555 North Lane, Conshohocken, PA, 19428.

Visit the Chester Residents website at http://www.penweb.org/chester/

-----------------------------------------------------
Directions to Chester High School (from Mapquest...)

>From I-95:
Take the exit, exit number 6, towards PA-320/PA-352/PROVIDENCE AVE/EDGMONT
AVE.
2 blocks then turn LEFT onto CHESTNUT ST.
2 blocks then turn RIGHT onto MORTON AVE.
1 block then turn RIGHT onto E 9TH ST.
3 blocks then E 9TH ST becomes US-13.
4 blocks then turn RIGHT onto PENN ST.