By Sharon Furlong

 

Elcon Recycling Services, LLC has proposed building a plant that boils imported hazardous liquids containing between 300 and 590 types of toxins in order to oxidize the products. The end product would be a sludge containing poisonous salts and heavy metals that are comprised, at a minimum, of the following components but not limited to: chromium, copper, cadmium, lead, mercury, chlorobenzene and trichlorethane. All of these components are fatal to life and when encountered elsewhere in the waste stream, necessitate special handling and disposal in designated hazardous waste landfills, none of which are on site in Bucks County. This technology has never been done. The closest even this company has come is the one plant that it has built in Israel, that is approximately 1/3rd the size of this proposed project, handling far fewer materials from a far smaller area and is built in the middle of a desert with one approach road and no people anywhere to be seen. Elcon was forbidden to build in Europe and here, in Lakewood, New Jersey when it first tried to get a foothold outside Israel. Why? hmmm.......

 

This proposed project in Falls Township, Bucks County, would be built in a 500 year floodplain, a half mile from the banks of the Delaware River (prime drinking water source for over 17 million citizens), feet from a marsh connected underground to the artery system that feeds the River, and less than a half mile, more like feet, near the banks of a stream (Biles Creek) that is a direct feeder into that River also. There are approximately 3+ million people within 50 miles of this site. Between 17 and 24 trucks per day would be hauling these poisons on small roads designed for buggies and small cars, through neighborhoods packed with people. Elcon has no plan on file in case of a trucking accident; indeed, there aren't any experts about what to do if there is a trucking accident because this has NEVER been done before and these proposed oxidation processes have never been tested before, let alone the trucks to be used to haul the stuff. And Elcon's record in its only plant in Israel has been cited for illegal air and liquid discharges....so their record is already faulty.

 

Getting the picture? Wait, there is more:

 

1- Elcon itself indicates that it wants permission to emit 25 Tons of Nitrogen Oxides into the air into an area that has been consistently failing the Clean Air Standards for over 10 years.
2- The sludge left over from this untried process, even if successful, would include the following, making it so hazardous that it would trigger laws regarding hazardous waste disposal procedures: Toxic Salts, Chromium, Copper Cadmium, Lead, Mercury, Chlorobenzene and Trichloroethane, and that is just a start. And Elcon wants PA DEP to put aside these rules for them and them alone, in order to allow Elcon to dump the stuff in a regular landfill that happens to be nearby.
3- The site would be placed within a  500 year floodplain, that DRBC, the city of Philadelphia and other entities are now saying that critical facilities should never be constructed in these areas. As an additional note: this particular 500 year floodplain has been flooded fairly frequently in recent years, making the designation of "500 years" somewhat questionable.
4- Already existing scrubber technology used in incineration facilities do not transfer to this kind of project.
5- Ditto for containment technology.
6- Remember those trucks? There is nothing about those trucks in their massive Phase II application that is currently in front of PA DEP. There is nothing about impact to communities or roads or community infrastructure.
7- Where would these materials come from? Who knows? A 13 state compact was originally mentioned, and now they have released that 30% of the materials would come from (according to Elcon)  the already existing manufacturers on this already toxified area where U.S. Steel, the owners of the land, has leased out sections of it to other corporations and businesses (all heavy manufacturing concerns). Please know the entire U.S. Steel complex was declared a Superfund site some years ago: they have remediated enough of the place to minimal standards, allowing them to rent out sections of it to businesses that are filthy in their own right.  The remediation was minimal so leasers such as schools or day care centers or anything that is remotely clean are not allowed to even apply.

 

There is more but I am getting depressed writing this. Know that lots of folks are fighting this, but of course, as is with all environmental issues (especially on the local level) there are never enough. So here are three groups that have been at the forefront of this fight since it began several years ago:

1- BUCKS-POWA - They are the local group started by residents and concerned non residents...Lise and George Baxter, couple extraordinaire, lead this group with wonderful associates, all from Bucks County
2- Delaware Riverkeepers Network - Fred Stine is the lead person there on this
3- Clean Air Council -   Russ Zerbo is the lead for the Clean Air Council group

 

For Local people: We are trying to have our Bucks People come out to Falls Township Supervisor Meetings, third Tuesday of each month at 7 pm, in order to support the residents. Please know the Township has the ultimate say and can stop this nightmare completely, but they cannot act until there is a plan in front of them. Their hands are tied before that.  PA DEP is making this hard for Elcon...they recently sent Elcon a 19 page document outlining inconsistencies and concerns in their Phase II application, an unheard of thing for DEP to do in these days of no staff and less money. However, it is terrific to be there to show numbers of people against this monstrosity, fun to do a 5 minute comment about this and helpful for the residents to know they are not alone in this fight. You can contact me if you want to be part of this informal effort to get people to show up and I can get you information to peruse or use as a comment factsheet.

 

The elections are over for the moment, but the battle to save our Planet never stops. Sigh......