WasteByRail - Is it coming to Alliance Landfill?

Just imagine for a moment not being able to sleep at night because of the loud noise of a train horn blasting as the train hurtles down the track hauling waste into Alliance Landfill. Never though about that one...huh!

Federal law requires trains approaching street level crossings to sound their horns for 15 to 20 seconds between 96 to 110 decibels (about as loud as a jackhammer next to your ear) according to the Federal Railroad Administration rules.

In an effort to improve the quality of life for people living near landfills accepting waste by rail residents all across America have begun to seek federal designation for train horn quite zones.

Take a look and listen for yourself at waste by rail below:



The Alliance landfill Task Force has recently been contacted by a group that claims to have information for our community on the waste industries plans to bring waste into our area by rail through the restoration of the Lackawanna Cutoff. We will be meeting with this group shortly and we will keep the community informed of any information we obtain.

WASTE MANAGEMENT and LOBBYING

Waste Management does have lobbying connections which try to greatly influence legislation and decisions. Lobbyist are paid big money by corporations such as Waste Management.

Attached below are two links which will bring you to two stories showing proof that Waste Management does use lobbying.

Please take a moment and read the following two stories concerning Lobbyist Bill Bobrick.
* Please read both articles in full.

Top lobbyist admits scheme
Influence money funneled to Rep. Tom Anderson, Bobrick testifies
By LISA DEMERAnchorage Daily News
Published: May 17, 2007 Last Modified: July 31, 2007 at 06:07 PM
http://dwb.adn.com/news/politics/fbi/story/8892691p-8791703c.html

Who did Bill Bobrick work for?
Published: May 17, 2007 Last Modified: July 31, 2007 at 06:07 PM
http://dwb.adn.com/news/politics/fbi/story/8892691p-8791702c.html

Congressman Paul Kanjorski - response 7/23/08

The Alliance Landfill Task Force has received a written signed response from Congressman Paul Kanjorski. The response letter that the Alliance Landfill Task Force received also was addressed to Alliance Against Alliance/President Bill Toman. However, when the Alliance Landfill Task Force met with the staff of Congressman Paul Kanjorski; Mr Toman was not present at the meeting. The Alliance Landfill Task Force met with Congressman Kanjorski's staff in his Wilkes-Barre office. Present at the meeting were representing the Congressman / Tom Williams and Fred Ney ----representing Alliance Landfill Task Force / Bob Folger and Frank Scavo.

While the Alliance Landfill Task Force is happy to see that Congressman Kanjorsk has responded to us, we are somewhat disappointed in his style of response. Mr. Williams and Mr. Ney who represented the Congressman Kanjorski were presented a letter addresed to Congressman Kanjorski requesting PaDEP documentation records on Alliance Landfill. The Alliance Landfill Task Force letter also asked for Congressman Kanjorski to call for an investigation into the PaDEP and its current operations. The Congressman's response letter makes no reference to these points. Also, to date the Alliance Landfill Task Force has not received the requested documentation asked for in our letter presented to Congressman Kanjorski's staff.

To view Congressman Kanjorski's response click on the letter.

Environmental Injustice

Environmental Injustice is defined as the following:

"Environmental Injustice":
An environmental injustice exists when members of disadvantaged, ethnic, minority or other groups suffer disproportionately at the local, regional (sub-national), or national levels from environmental risks or hazards, and/or disproportionately from violations of fundamental human rights as a result of environmental factors, and/or denied access to environmental investments, benefits, and/or natural resources, and/or are denied access to information; and/or participation in decision making; and or access to justice in environmental-related matters."

The following YouTube video was forwarded to the Alliance Landfill Task Force from an Environmental Justice group based in New York, NY. We ask that you watch the video in entirety by clicking on it. Please value the importance of how the women is fighting for her " human rights". Please listen carefully to the comments on cancer rates, community health and family death.




Now ask yourself the following questions....

How could this happen in America?

Who allowed this chemical to be dumped in this landfill, so close to these homes?

Where was the EPA?

Now ask yourself these questions...

Could something like this be happening at Alliance Landfill?

How can the PaDEP issue another permit to Alliance Landfill on inconclusive testing?

Why is Michael D. Bedrin(PaDEP -NE/Regional Director) not asking the Alliance Landfill Task Force to be involved in environmental participation that effects our community?

Why is Senator Robert Mellow and Representative James Wansacz not introducing legislation for mandatory landfill monitoring (example:mandatory 2.5 community based ambient air monitoring) for all state landfills?

IS THERE ENVIRONMENTAL INJUSTICE HAPPENING IN OUR COMMUNITIES?

Teamster.org - In Harm's Way: How WASTE MANAGEMENT, INC. Endangers the Sanitation Workers Who Protect the Public's Health

Waste Management's unionized work force recently was spoken for by their leadership group the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. Waste Management's unionized work force spoke of horrible work conditions. The unionized work force speaking up allowed testimony to be heard by the US Senate Subcommittee on Employment and Workplace Safety - which showed Waste Management's OSHA violations rising by 28% between 2003 and 2007.

The National Commission of Inquiry into the Worker Health and Safety Crisis in the Solid Waste Industry issued a reported titled - "In Harms Way". You will be shocked to read what Waste Management's own employees are saying about their company. Click the link below to read "In Harms Way".

http://www.teamster.org/divisions/SolidWaste/PDFs/Waste_In_Harms_Way.pdf

One has to wonder after reading "In Harms Way" do the Waste Management "non-union" employees of Alliance landfill feel the same as their fellow unionized Waste Management employees represented by the Teamsters. Do Waste Management corporate officials or Alliance Landfill management hold a power over them?

WE ASK ALLIANCE LANDFILL EMPLOYEES....WHY WOULD YOU NOT WANT TO PROTECT THE COMMUNITY IN WHICH YOU WORK, LIVE, AND RAISE YOUR FAMILIES? WHY WOULD YOU NOT WANT PERMANENT MANDATORY PM2.5 COMMUNITY BASED AIR MONITORING?

One can only continue to wonder why.....unless of course you don't live in Taylor, Old Forge or Ransom; like some of Alliance Landfills executives.

Unions Urge Senate: Act Now on Safety Crisis at Trash Giant Waste Management

WASHINGTON, April 1, 2008 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Senate Subcommittee on Employment and Workplace Safety heard testimony today from unions in the Change to Win partnership on the need for greater oversight by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) of companies with a history of serious, ongoing safety violations -- including waste hauling giant Waste Management, Inc.

To Read The Full Article Click The Link Below:

http://news.moneycentral.msn.com/printarticle.aspx?feed=PR&date=20080401&id=8418617

Teamsters President Jim Hoffa made the following statement before the Senate Subcommittee:

"We've all seen the commercials where those gleaming WMI trucks drive through green landscapes. But the truth belies WMI's marketing. Nearly 60% of the WMI workers surveyed rated WMI's truck maintenance as fair, poor or a failure," Hoffa said. "So how safe are workers in these trucks, and how safe are the other drivers on the road with these trucks?"

In Harms Way, a report released by the National Commission of Inquiry into the Worker Health and Safety Crisis in the Solid Waste Industry sums up Waste Management as "playing a risky game with workers' lives and public safety."

Alliance Landfill Task Force meets with Congressman Paul Kanjorski staff

The Alliance Landfill Task Force was recently invited to Congressman Paul Kanjorski's office in Wilkes-Barre to discuss Alliance Sanitary Landfill, its owner and operating company Waste Management Incorporated. However, Congressman Kanjorski himself did not attend the meeting! We were received by Mr. Tom Williams (District Projects Director) and Mr. Fred Ney (District Director) who both represented Congressman Kanjorski.

The discussion of the meeting focused on asking how Congressman Kanjorski could help the residents of our communities. The Alliance Landfill Task Force presented documentation from several federal and state sources to Mr. Williams for review. The Alliance Landfill Task Force also presented a two page letter to Congressman Kanjorski (C/O Mr.Williams) asking for immediate assistance in obtaining documentation from the PaDEP regarding Alliance Sanitary Landfill. The letter also ask for Congressman Kanjorski to support our efforts on mandatory PM2.5 Community Based Air Monitoring for Alliance Sanitary Landfill. However, with the upcoming election we asked Congressman Kanjorski to please respond with his political views on landfills.

The Alliance Landfill Task Force respectfully requested that Congressman Kanjorski please respond in writing to our request by July 11th, 2008.

Today is July 16th, 2008 and the Alliance Landfill Task Force still has not received a response from Congressman Paul Kanjorski.

It looks like the time that the Alliance Landfill Task Force met with Congressman Kanjorski's staff was "trashed" (pun-intended).

Remember, Congressman Kanjorski's response at election time!!