Residents for Responsible Government, Inc.
From 1972 to 2015, Niagara County, New York, hosted one of the largest PCB and toxic waste landfill operations in the U.S. The CWM landfill was forced to close in 2015, a testament to the power of community support and efforts. CWM has applied for a massive new 6 million-ton PCB and toxic waste landfill, referred to as RMU-2, which state and federal agencies conclude is not needed.
RMU-1 closed nearly nine years ago, so there is definitely not a local need for another toxic landfill.
The 710-acre proposed site is owned by CWM Chemical Services, LLC, a Waste Management, Inc. subsidiary, a $20 billion corporation. CWM is located in the Towns of Lewiston and Porter, NY, one mile from Lewiston-Porter Central Schools and roughly three miles from the Niagara River and Lake Ontario. There are 17 commercial hazardous waste landfills in the U.S., which supervising agencies deem adequate to handle the nation’s needs for decades to come without CWM.
If approved, the CWM proposal would send more than a half-million PCB—and toxic waste-laden trucks past the front of our public schools for decades, posing a significant threat to our health and environment. In 2003, CWM predicted its application would be approved by 2005; however, the application in 2024 is only now entering the final phase of decision-making.
CWM’s landfill has been closed for nine years
but is still fighting to open a new toxic landfill.
CWM’s application is now nearing final decision-making by the New York State Hazardous Waste Siting Board and the NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation Commissioner-designee. Both approvals are required for the application to be approved.
Final briefs are due soon from CWM and the “intervenors” approved by the State. These intervenors include counsel for Niagara County, the Town of Lewiston, the Village of Lewiston, and the Village of Youngstown; counsel for the Lewiston-Porter School District, the Niagara County Farm Bureau and RRG; Tuscarora Nation counsel, Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper counsel, and resident Amy Witryol. They play a crucial role in representing the interests of the community in the decision-making process.
Numerous conferences, motions, and sworn testimony have been offered on issues such as groundwater, soil contaminated with radiation, air pollution, truck traffic noise, and adverse impacts on real estate and economic development, including marketing farm products.
Intervenors, including RRG, will submit final arguments on these topics over the next several months.
Your support is crucial in this fight. You can help RRG defray the cost of experts to assist with final arguments. We have been toxic-free for 9 years now; let’s finish the job! Click on the link below to contribute and be a part of this important cause.
Now more than ever, we must ensure our community is not saddled with another toxic landfill. The potential risks to our environment, health, and economy are too great. We need to act now to save our environment and our community.
.NOTE: If you are having trouble finding us on Facebook it is because we had to disbale it once we discovered that the account had been corrupted.
Our work is almost done, but we still need you.
Help RRG fund its representation to end PCB and toxic waste landfilling here, forever! Use the link for online donations or the address below to mail checks. Thank you for your support.
DONATE: https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=C79XHXXUXTYR2&source=url
About RRG
RRG is an all-volunteer not-for-profit organization formed in 2002 in response to a 3-to-2 approval by Porter Town Board members to re-zone land for the commercial landfilling of PCBs and hazardous wastes imported from throughout the U.S., Puerto Rico and Canada. RRG is dedicated to informing and empowering residents in the Towns of Porter and Lewiston and Niagara County, NY.
Contact Us:
Residents for Responsible Government, Inc.
P.O. Box 262
Youngstown, NY 14174
You can email us using the form below.