Zachary Tucker
My name is Zachary Tucker, and I am a proud resident
of Southbridge. It has come to my attention that on June 22, 2015, The Council
will be voting on the first amendment of the Casella Extension Agreement. I firmly urge the Council to vote no. There
are several facets to this contract which I feel deserve much more thorough
examination, and once given I have no doubt the Council will find a NO vote is
the only responsible option at this time.
First of all, it is my understanding that the
Southbridge landfill is running out of space and may soon close. I have it on
good authority that the current system of leachate removal from the site is
completely adequate and has worked just fine for many years. One must wonder
then, what is the point of building a facility in order to sustain a system
that is already sustained by the status quo, and why borrow $2.5 million
dollars of taxpayer money to do so? The Contract Amendment also includes
selling excess leachate plant capacity to companies and municipalities in
surrounding areas, increasing the workload of our Sewage treatment facility by
thousands of gallons a day. Seeing as
how this smelly, aging facility is already operating at 60% capacity of 3.87
million gallons a day, this added strain to the sewer system is another factor
to consider.
Another issue with selling excess leachate plant
capacity is the added traffic of additional toxic waste-filled tanker trucks in
Southbridge. Why on Earth would we consider bringing even more toxic waste into
Southbridge? The environmental implications of this deal have barely been
discussed.
Finally, when all is said and done, there is the overall
true profit to the Town to consider. $2.5 million dollars has nothing but monetary
value, and we are bargaining our future away where the environmental aspects of
Southbridge are concerned. Casella is a business, and while they may have a
stake in our community, they have an even bigger one in their own well-being.
This amendment does much to aid the latter, while leaving the first to wallow
in the misery of its wake.
Respectfully,
Zachary Tucker
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