MONTICELLO — Some Village of Monticello residents voiced their strong opposition to a potential incinerator (or waste-to-energy facility)  on the site of the old Monticello Landfill at Wednesday night’s board meeting. 

This pushback comes following an approval this past August of a new solid waste management plan by the Sullivan County Legislature.

The proposed incinerator would potentially sit at the site of the old landfill, but residents and organizations, such as NAACP and Sustainable Sullivan have raised concerns over severe health and financial risks.

One of those raising concerns at the board meeting was a Monticello resident who identified herself as Karen, a self-described summer resident who lives in Monticello five months of the year.

“Many of us are concerned about the pollution that it [the incinerator] will cause,” explained Karen. “From my understanding and the science that I’ve read, it’s the worst way to deal with trash.”

She said for example the burning of dioxin, which she stated can cause many forms of cancer and asbestos. She reasoned that there are “many other ways” to deal with the trash problem.

She also stated concerns that the potential incinerator would have a big impact on peoples’ health.

Another attendee speaking on the matter was Monticello-turned-Loch Sheldrake resident Nancy Lopez.

Lopez stated that the dioxins, lead, and other debris coming from the incinerator will have a 50-mile radius of where it will be airborne and can land. She noted that this included reservoirs for the New York City water supply.

“There’s 15 different kinds of cancer you can get from this, and they didn’t pick Monticello by accident,” stressed Lopez. “They haven’t really done any incinerators in the past 30 years ... now the  white communities started getting cancer and asthma and things of the sort. So they were like ‘no way, no more’. They’ve been looking in communities of color, particularly depressed communities of color. It may be just outside the Village and more of the Town of Thompson’s problem. Nevertheless, it’s your problem.”

Lopez also brought up her concerns pertaining to local farming and agriculture, stressing that pollutants could contaminate food supplies.

She noted that long-term contracts could financially burden the county.

“There’s been certain towns that had really bad contracts with these companies, and those towns have filed bankruptcy because they couldn’t meet what the incinerator company demanded,” said Lopez.

Another resident, Karen Sevenson, cited financial risks as a concern.

“It will definitely have a big economic impact on the area as well,” Stevenson noted. “There’s no profit in garbage … It’s not going to help our economy, it’s not going to help our tourism, and it’s not going to help our agriculture, which are about 50 percent of the industry in Sullivan County.”

Trustee Gordon Jenkins agreed, stating that, “The young people should start getting involved … they’re the ones who are going to have to breathe it.”

Village Board members affirmed that the Village of Monticello does not support an incinerator. They encouraged residents to keep pressing the Sullivan County Legislature, who ultimately determines the project’s future.

“Whatever they have to do with the Village, the Village does not want an incinerator,” said Trustee Theodore Hutchins. He highlighted the importance of telling legislators what they want and holding them accountable ahead of this upcoming election cycle.

The Town of Thompson will host a Town Board meeting on Tuesday, October 7, at 7 p.m. Residents were encouraged by Hutchins to attend and make their voices heard.

[Editor’s note: We will have more coverage on the county’s proposed incinerator in upcoming editions of the Sullivan County Democrat.]