Hundreds of residents defend town against “nightmare” projects. Thursday, December 5th, 2024, Templeton, Massachusetts:
Energized to safeguard health and all they hold dear, giving up dinner to brave the frozen night, hundreds came together to meet the threat of toxic waste plastic incineration. Spirited residents unanimously approved a one year moratorium against plastic or other waste incineration.
As further support of bedrock values, voters, led by Julie Farrell, next overwhelmingly affirmed change to the Solid Waste Bylaw to forever defend the integrity of public health from burning tires or plastics. Special guest Ella Carlson, Presentations Associate at The Climate Reality Project, cited toxic harms, failures, and dangers of these activities. Retired Plastics Industry Manager for North America and resident, Joe Emma, spoke to the nightmarish disaster of burning plastics.
Beverly Bartolomeo, widely respected lifelong community defender, closed arguably the most important meeting in town history to thunderous applause saying, ”We don’t need bad air or bad water…we’re going to have clean business!”.
Achieving this vision rests on further sustained democratic action, says Templeton Advisory Committee chair, resident, and constitutional scholar Nowell Francis. Referring to the eight Commercial Industrial Zones, Mr. Francis warned of the urgent need to change antiquated town zoning. “The basic problem,” he said, is zoning that, ”allows unlimited, heavy industry.”.
Templeton Community Against Toxic Waste extends appreciation for the following sources of support and source material:
• Residents of Templeton, Winchendon, and friends
• State Representative Jessica Ann Giannino and fellow
petitioners for House Bill 3701
• The People of the State of Maine, for S.P. 665 - L.D. 1660,
An Act to Ensure Proper Regulation of Chemical Plastic Processing
• SOBE Concerned Citizens, the mayor, city council and residents of
Youngstown Ohio.
• Millers River Watershed Council, Gardner Clean Air, Just Zero,
Community Action Works, Beyond Plastics, Clean Water Action,
Save Our Susquehanna, The Climate Reality Project, and The
Garden Club of America, Museum of Science, Boston.
• Select Board Member Terry Griffis and her dedicated, caring
associates working at town hall for residents' health and welfare.
(see copies of moratorium and bylaw below)
What’s it all about? December 5th Special Town Meeting is a chance to be part of history. Templeton already made history when we voted down article 8 zoning change, saying loud and clear that, NO, dirty, harmful, businesses SHALL NOT be given a zoning right to incinerate plastic in densely populated villages.
December 5ths’ meeting is scheduled due to over 300 residents’ demand for a moratorium, as an emergency measure to preserve public safety by blocking all activities related to plastics incineration.
Attend, and vote YES to approve the moratorium! Also please vote YES to approve an addition to Chapter 220, Solid Waste Management. This bylaw prohibits trash being brought into town to go to a landfill. The proposed article will add that trash is also prohibited being brought into town to incinerate. Makes sense, right? Let’s say NO to incinerating refuse, trash, tires, or other materials!
See the article to be voted on below- it will become Article II of Chapter 220 if voters say YES:
Article II. Regulated Technologies, Solid Waste Handling, and Processing.
S 220-II-1. Regulated Technologies.
Notwithstanding, regulated technologies shall not be used in any form, including but not limited to the use of plastics or used tires as a fuel or fuel substitute or the general use of plastics or used tires in energy production. For the purposes of this section, “regulated technologies” shall include, but not be limited to gasification, pyrolysis, solvolysis, hydro pyrolysis, methanolysis, enzymatic breakdown, combustion, or any other process used to transform plastic or plastic-derived materials into plastic monomers, chemicals, waxes, lubricants, chemical feedstocks, crude oil, diesel, gasoline, or home heating oil.
(A) A person shall not use, facilitate or otherwise deploy regulated technologies in the
Town of Templeton.
(B) A person shall not build, construct, establish or operate any facilities that use regulated technologies in the Town of Templeton. The prohibition in this subsection shall apply to the modification or conversion of any existing non-covered facilities in the Town of Templeton into facilities that use regulated technologies.
(C) No person shall receive any tax breaks, or any other financial or non-financial incentives to support the development of facilities that use regulated technologies or programs focused on regulated technologies.
S 220-II-2 Restrictions & prohibitions on solid waste treatment, handling & processing
Solid Waste as defined in S 220-II-2 may in the future be redefined as material, feedstock, commodities, or the like. Nevertheless, being the same material by a different name, these may pose hazards and risks when treated, handled, or processed. These include release of hazardous pollutants into environment, toxic particulate matter readily inhaled or absorbed through contact, risks of fire, and contamination of water.
Notwithstanding, such Solid Waste, by any name in the future, is prohibited from transport to any property in the Town of Templeton to be handled, processed, or treated for the purpose of what is now defined under Section 129 of the Clean Air Act as incineration. This is prohibited even if incineration is later defined as manufacturing, treatment, handling, or processing. Also prohibited is application of heat, pressure, chemicals or other treatments to Solid Waste if a significant result is to extract fuel or precursors to fuel or for the purpose of energy generation or any step in making fuel. Stockpiling material for such purposes is also prohibited.
Please send flyer, below, to remind people you know to come vote! You can download the flyer by clicking on the images below or by clicking here.
Survey: Should Child Care be offered as part of town meetings?Would care be best on site, at certified childcare provider location, or at Church with certified provider?
Please email templetonagainsttoxics@gmail.com with your response.
This is Winchester Street. Let’s not let history repeat itself here or in other neighborhoods in town. Let’s make a new and better future by actively voting for health and welfare.
