The many negative environmental impacts of this plant are spelled out here, and merit a fight to keep it from becoming a reality. An important detail missing from this story is that the incinerator (let’s call it what it is) proposal is not just about managing Sullivan County’s waste. A likely model for this plant requires the county to enlist in what’s called a “put-or-pay” contract, which in turn stipulates that the county must meet a quota of incineration for the operator of the facility. If the county fails to meet this obligation, a penalty is levied to the county. The way in which these WTE facilities avoid paying a penalty is to accept waste from outside the bounds of the municipality/county to meet the baseline tonnage stipulated in the agreement. If the volume doesn’t meet the terms of the contract, the potential for massive public debt is a reality. Guess who ends up footing the bill for all of this? Yup, you guessed it…we the taxpayers.

Yet another way corporations enrich their shareholders and impoverish the rest of us.