WAWAYANDA – Orange County residents packed Wawayanda Town Hall Wenesday evening for a public hearing on the proposed Mirangi waste transfer facility on Dolsontown Road.
The project has sparked fierce backlash by the public since planning started in 2020 due to environmental and health concerns.
As testified by the project engineer, 950 tons of garbage would be collected daily from New York City, Philadelphia, and Boston, with trucks arriving as early as 4 a.m. The garbage would sit on top of the aquifer Wawayanda residents’ wells draw from, contaminating the town’s water supply, opponents maintain.
Several residents also said that Dolsontown Road is not built to withstand such heavy traffic. “It’s a six-ton road, and the trucks coming in will be an average of 22 tons,” said Protect Orange County Chairwoman Pramila Malick.
Many in attendance said the project would violate the new EJ Siting Law, . The law requires all oversight bodies to determine whether a proposed project will create or worsen pollution burden on designated Disadvantaged Communities.
Despite residents in attendance unanimously rejecting the project, the planning board abstained from voting on the proposed facility’s future. Chants of “Vote! Vote! Vote!” rang in the room as residents were outraged by the outcome. “The board hasn’t given any good reason why they’re even considering the project, so they’re just kicking the can down the road, saying they need more time to think about it,” said environmental activist Fred Issacs of Middletown.
It remains unclear when the board will vote, or if a ninth public hearing will take place.
(By Correspondent Zandor Doring)
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