I am writing you as a concerned resident of Goshen. The Town of Goshen Board is looking to change our solid waste laws to allow new solid waste facilities into Goshen. Our codes currently do not allow new facilities it seems. We have had our share of landfills, landfill problems, garbage truck traffic/litter, and a host of contamination issues....
0ur laws appear to have held up challenges in court over the years. That’s a good thing!
At a town board meeting February 8, Goshen Supervisor Betro appeared to say we need to take the prohibitions out (law) to allow Hughes Energy to come in. It is my understanding the supervisor indicated that after the Hughes energy pilot, they plan on doing a full-scale facility.
Hughes Energy currently has an application in front of the Town of Goshen Planning Board along with a request to change/amend our code/zoning.
Our town of Goshen supervisor has appeared in newspapers, speaking on behalf of Hughes Energy, in front of Sullivan County.
If our town code/laws are changed to allow Hughes Energy come to Goshen, I believe it will open up the doors/floodgates for other solid waste facilities. Its my understanding it will be at the town boards discretion. Hello.
Has the town ever collected the tipping fees from the northern recycling transfer station?
Has the town ever collected the tipping fees from the IWS transfer station?
Did the town ever collect tipping fees from the Al Turi landfill?
What about the cost of cleaning alongside the roads 17M — Hartley Road and repaving Hartley Road, did or has anyone contributed to the cost beside our taxpayers?
Has Hughes Energy submitted a permit application for our current 80b law and the application fee along with it?
What about the three warehouses that have/had applications in front of the planning board? What about the traffic that is on 17M that apparently failed (got an F) on the traffic study done how many years ago?
Isn’t the town board looking at raising the height of buildings on each lot on 17M? How much traffic is this going to add? Have they studied the impacts to traffic and air quality on this?
If you see/feel there is a problem with all this, please contact your town of Goshen board members. Tell them you don’t want our solid waste laws changed. And please feel free to attend the planning board meeting on 3/21.
Perhaps a moratorium might be an idea until this is studied and our master plan is reviewed, might be a good idea to do first...
Susan Cleaver
Goshen