Dear Editor,
We are writing to urgently bring attention to a pressing issue facing our community: the proposed construction of a chemical recycling plant on the floodplain of the Susquehanna River in Point Township. The facility, proposed by the company Encina, poses a threat to both public health and our environment and demands immediate action from students and citizens.
The proposed facility would receive an appalling 100 trucks of plastic arriving daily, leading to increased traffic congestion, noise pollution, and light pollution in our community. Chemicals such as benzene, toluene, xylene, and propylene that will be produced at the proposed Encina facility are linked to numerous health concerns, including cancers, liver and kidney damage, birth defects, nervous system issues, and respiratory issues.
Furthermore, the proximity of the plant to the Susquehanna River poses an imminent risk of chemical and microplastic pollution. The Susquehanna River floods frequently and when this occurs, hazardous chemicals and plastics could be washed into the river and Susquehanna River Basin, threatening the surrounding ecosystems.
Encina’s proposed technology is unproven, leaving the community with no guarantee of its safety or efficacy. Equally troubling is Encina’s failure to ensure that jobs created by the facility will go to local job-seekers, leaving our community without the economic benefits promised by its proponents. Similar projects have hired local community members for construction but not offered sustained economic benefits to the area. The proposed Encina facility also threatens the entire recreational economy of the
Susquehanna River Valley.
In light of these concerns, Save Our Susquehanna, a local environmental organization concerned about the proposed toxic chemical plant, is organizing an event to raise awareness and support. On Wednesday, April 24th, from 7:00 to 8:30 PM at the Campus Theatre, they will be hosting a talk by Jess Conard from Beyond Plastics on the environmental and health risks posed by chemical recycling facilities. Jess Conard directly experienced the East-Palestine, Ohio disaster. She will discuss her first hand experience with toxic chemical disasters and the risks of the proposed chemical recycling facility for the Susquehanna River Valley.
We need you to join us and lend your voice to the fight against this reckless proposal. Together, we can protect our community, our environment, and our future.
Sincerely,
Concerned Students
Danny Meuser, Ella Van Benschoten, Molly Jorden and Brendan Arnold