To the Editor:

How dare Robert Leslie, director of planning for the town of Bethlehem, along with members of the Bethlehem Planning Board approve a 180-day extension for the Port of Albany wind tower manufacturing facility on Beacon Island, knowing that the Beacon Island site has now been listed as a CCRMU (coal combustion residual management unit) and a legacy surface impound.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the site’s designations are the worst environmental classifications for coal ash dumps due to the extreme likelihood of heavy metal contamination of the soil and groundwater and the release of radon gas.

The site cannot be encapsulated, as defined by the EPA — all six sides enclosed (those being north, south, east, west, top, and bottom) due to the waters of the Normanskill Creek and the Hudson River running along, through and under Beacon Island. Merely putting a plastic sheet on top does not encapsulate the coal ash

Robert Leslie knows this, the town planning board knows this, the town board knows this, and the Port of Albany knows this and yet they continue to argue it is encapsulated so they can defend the waste of millions of dollars while they continue to ignore the new federal law dealing with coal ash.

According to the EPA’s mandate, all coal ash must be removed from the CCRMU site. If the port builds on this site, all buildings must be removed.

According to a consultant that the Port of Albany hired, the Beacon Island site was always a bad idea (April 24 posted video). He said that the river is not deep enough nor wide enough; he said that the site is too far from New York and the New Jersey shores where the towers are to be assembled.

Any reduction in carbon dioxide output would be negated by the long, slow journey of the tower parts down the Hudson from Albany to New York City. Does the Port listen to their own hired expert? No! Do the port and the town of Bethlehem follow the new EPA regulation? No!

Even the assistant attorney general for New York state can read the tea leaves, and sent the Beacon Island Environmental Justice group a legal document that the law states: If new, environmental information comes to light then the planning board can (and should) undergo a new environmental impact study.

What could be more critical than classifying Beacon Island as a CCRMU! And yet, our planning board (five appointed, not elected, members) chose not to do this. Five unelected individuals, ignoring the EPA’s ruling and passing judgment on the health and safety of our town.

Why would they do this? How do they benefit from ignoring the new final rule? Perhaps they are in over their heads and don’t understand the severity of the situation on Beacon Island or perhaps they are just puppets responding to political pulls.

Puppets don’t belong in positions of power, especially unelected puppets. Let’s get Bethlehem back on a healthier track. At least the EPA is non-partisan and proceeds forward using scientific fact!

Joanne Maier

Glenmont

Editor’s note: Robert Leslie, who was asked to respond to this letter a week before it was published, did not respond to repeated offers from The Enterprise to comment.