Newsletter #33
September 3, 2020
The Press Release we sent out today
Last night the Town of Union council members voted 5 to 0 for a resolution recommending the Village of Endicott slow down its rush to allow the SungEel company to operate a high temperature lithium-ion battery recycling plant in Endicott (at the corner of Robble Ave and Clark Street).
In a thoughtful and comprehensive resolution, the Town of Union council members suggested sensible protective measures be taken before the project moves forward. According to Endicott Village Trustee, Ted Warner,
“They include things that we have been asking for many months now. I hope Linda [the Mayor] and Cheryl [the Deputy Mayor] listen to this wise advice as well as that of Fred Akshar in his August 27 letter.”
Here are the three key paragraphs in last night’s town of Union resolution:
RESOLVED, that the Town Board hereby does request that the Village of Endicott not move forward with the proposed SungEel Lithium-ion Battery Recycling Facility project until documented credible science and health related evidence is confirmed by the NYSDEC, the State and local Health Departments, and by one or more mutually agreed upon independent third parties (namely, an agreement by the Village of Endicott and representatives of the opponents of the project), and is placed in evidence as part of the public record, all of which evidence to be analyzed by the Village Board, with continued input and comment by all interested parties; and it is further
RESOLVED, that the Town Board does request that only upon receipt by the Village Board of all such documented credible science and health related evidence, and that only upon receipt and review of all proper applications and permits as part of the record, and only upon receipt and review of all proper emergency preparedness plans and procedures having been developed, implemented and made part of the record, that the Village Board then undertake the proper SEQR review for the proposed facility; and it is further
RESOLVED, that the Town Board opposes any business, project or facility that potentially jeopardizes the health and safety of any of its residents and/or the applicable community area environment, unless and until such health and safety risks are fully and properly mitigated using greater than minimum requirements; …
“There are so many things we know today that we didn’t know when this project was launched. Many didn’t know that the valuable and strategically important metals recovered would be going to South Koreas. According to former U.S. Secretary of the Department of Energy, this is not in America’s interest. Many didn’t know that these batteries contained PFAS and in the burning and heating process could produce more. Few realized that there are less wasteful and safer ways of recycling these batteries which don’t produce toxic emissions and require smokestacks.”
According to Patrick Dorner another Endicott Village Trustee,
“I think that we are in this mess today because pressures from Albany rushed the NY DEC into issuing a “negative declaration” in their SEQR review in October 2019. That denied our community a full Environmental Impact Statement. In my view, with the history of previous pollution and our compromised health situation, that was unconscionable. With the help of the Town of Union I hope we can right this wrong.”
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