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CWM facility siting board holds pre-hearing conference

by jmaloni
Fri, Jul 4th 2014 07:00 am

The state Department of Environmental Conservation held its first organizational meeting of the CWM siting board Wednesday afternoon at the Red Brick School Village Center in Youngstown.

Chaired by DEC Region 8 Director Paul D'Amato, the purpose of the session was to introduce the eight members of the board, appointed over past weeks by Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Along with D'Amato, they include:

•Matthew Forucci, representing the Buffalo office of the state Department of Health.

•Darrell Kaminski, Region 5 director of the state Department of Transportation.

•Lynn Marinelli, state Department of Economic Development.

•Deidre Scozzafava, New York Department of State.

•Ad hoc members Lee Simonson of Lewiston; John Benoit of Lockport; and A Scott Weber, Ph.D., of the University at Buffalo.

All will be charged with determining once and for all whether CWM Chemical Services LLC should be granted approval for expansion of its hazardous waste operations on Balmer Road in Porter, which includes a new residuals management unit 2 landfill. DEC had earlier announced that a public hearing would be held on the matter on Wednesday, July 16, at 1 and 6:30 p.m. in the Lewiston-Porter High School auditorium.

Others introduced were Administrative Law Judge Louis Alexander, who will be presiding at the July 16 hearing, and Siting Board Counsel Michael Caruso, who briefly reviewed procedures DEC would be following in determining whether CWM's expansion is in fact environmentally safe and a public necessity.

DEC siting board officials pointed out community input, both written and verbal, as well as all comments heard at the July 16 Lew-Port sessions, will be going into the public record for thorough review by DEC in its ultimate determination.

All area residents and community interests, whether supportive or opposed to the CWM application, are strongly urged to express their viewpoints to the state DEC on this issue.

In addition to the Lew-Port sessions, written comments may be submitted anytime between now and Sept. 5 to DEC. Comments should be addressed to: James T. McClymonds, chief administrative law judge, NYSDEC officer of hearings and mediation services, 625 Broadway, First Floor, Albany, NY 12233-1550, or via email to [email protected].

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