act

ACT is a grassroots group of residents who live in the communities that make up the West Allegheny School District including North Fayette and Findlay Townships in the suburbs of Pittsburgh. ACT was initiative in January 2009 to catalyze volunteer events, community involvement, and service activities that will benefit our local area.

ACT’s mission is to make a long-lasting and positive impact on our local area through service and civic action and engagement in key issues that matter for our community’s long-term prosperity.

Action for Change Today

Dear Friends of ACT:
First a brief update- the developers applied to the DEP for an air pollution permit for a gas turbine plant at the Beech Hollow site and this was awarded at the end of June. The developers also submitted an application to the Robinson Township Supervisors to modify the existing conditional use permit (the local land development/use ordinances) for adding a gas-fired power plant to the the existing plan for a waste coal plant and fly ash disposal. The Robinson Township Planning Committee met last evening and a number of Robinson and North Fayette residents attended to raise concerns such as:
The application appears to us to be incomplete because it did not include a detailed site map as required by township code
Some of the requirements of the existing conditional use permit do not appear to have been met (building permits for plant obtained in timeline mandated in the permit) and so the existing permit may be expired
The developer is trying to say that the new plan cuts air emissions at the site by about half. This is only true if residents will only live downwind for a single year. While the ANNUAL emission will be decreased; The CUMULATIVE air pollution is significantly MORE than the original proposal because they will still burn the entire gob pile but the burning will take place over more years. Now not only will we breath in air pollution generated over the next couple of decades from the burning of the entire gob pile, but we will also breath the pollution from this gas plant (though the gas plant emits far less than the waste coal plant)
The developer says that the site will be "reclaimed" and turned into an industrial park however they have not provided specific details about how a fly ash disposal site can be safely built on AND the developer has indicated intention to sell the plant and so the owner/operator would be deciding how things unfold down the line. Thus, promises that this site will be reclaimed are questionable at best. The new owner/operator could dump the fly ash on site and so trade the gob pile for a fly ash pile (while also polluting the air we breathe)!
Based on Jonathan Levy's research (Harvard University), this combined project will cause $29 million a year in health damage- those costs are absorbed by those of us who suffer the health impacts, our employers, our insurance companies, and our families. The developer does not have to pay anything toward these costs.
On August 8, 2011 (at 8400 Noblestown Road, McDonald PA) beginning at 6:30pm the following will take place:
The Robinson Planning Commission will make its recommendations about the proposed changes to the conditional use permit (adding the gas turbine being the biggest of the changes). This portion will be for the public to listen.
The Robinson Supervisors will consider the information from all sources (past history of the permitting,planning commission recommendations, developer response)
The Robinson Supervisors will take public comment
This is a very important meeting for concerned citizens to show up and voice their concerns. PLEASE ATTEND this meeting if at all possible. The Supervisors need to see a strong turnout of people opposed to the addition of this gas plant!

Please reply to this email to let us know you are coming!

Yours in protecting our community-

ACT