Held at the Pottstown Middle School, the 2002 Roundtable on Children's Health was chaired by Senator Richard Kasunic. Also in attendance were Senator Mike O'Pake, Senator Jay Costa, and Senator Gerald LaValle.
Participants in the roundtable discussion were Dr. Lewis Cuthbert (ACE President), and Donna Cuthbert, Dr. Jean Flood (area physician in children and family practice), and Susan Burke (RN, BSN, CSN Pottsgrove School District). Also addressing the Senate Policy Committee were Pottstown Mayor Anne Jones and Linda Price King, Director of the Environmental Health Network.
Contrary to what some officials have suggested is the case, Flood said "it's not just poor people who are being affected" by the impact the area's environmental problems have on health, "many of the children I treat have affluent parents. They're the cream of the crop," she said. "They eat organic food and drink bottled water. The problem is there's no place for them to run, no place to hide, from the air we breathe."
Lewis Cuthbert told the senators that the proximity of the Pottstown Landfill, Occidental Chemical's polyvinyl chloride plant and Exelon's Nuclear Limerick Generating Station, along with the permitted and undocumented emissions from those facilities, make the region "a toxic triangle."
"Every child who draws a breath of air in this community is exposed. We have a lot of people who are dying too young, parents who are dying too young and leaving children for someone else to rear," he said.
All of this was news to Chester County Commissioner Andrew Dinniman.
"Our own health department in Chester County has not really brought this to the commissioners' attention," he said. "This is a whole new problem I was unaware of."
"I would like you to come to a commissioners' meeting in Chester County and make sure our health department is actively involved in this issue," Dinniman said.
Also discussed was the issuance of permits in the past years by the PA DEP, "In my opinion, the DEP exists to issue permits to pollute and is ignoring their mandate to protect the environment," said Lewis Cuthbert.
Kasunic promised to look into DEP "and pressure where its necessary to solve the problem" and also promised the committee would return later in the summer or in the fall to hear more testimony. full story
Excerpts taken from The Pottstown Mercury © June 28, 2002

In a document sent to Waste Management's District Manager, John Wardzinski, on May 5, 2002, the Bureau of Aviation, PA Department of Transportation formally objected to the expansion on the grounds that it would exceed FAR Part 77 and PA Aviation Code by 136 feet and 94.26 feet. This document had not been revealed at the time the West Pottsgrove commissioners voted to approve the expansion permit.
New FAA safety rules state that landfills cannot be within six miles of an airport, while the Pottstown landfill's eastern expansion is less than one mile from the Pottstown Airport. Another expansion would only increase the risks to airport safety that already exists. According to the regulation, the eastern expansion would not have qualified for an operating permit.
ACE has requested that FAA do a full review of the proposed expansion, the Pottstown Airport, and public safety. FAA's determination will likely object to this expansion as it is in violation of FAA code and regulations.

In an interview with Dan Weand on "The Business Show," WPAZ radio in Pottstown, Donna Cuthbert, vice president of ACE, discussed the latest Pottstown Landfill expansion.
Among the issues discussed were the West Pottsgrove Commissioners' apparent lack of interest and concern for the health risks, the accident liability to the public, depressed property values and the landfill's illegal penetration of air space as they proceeded to vote in favor of the latest of numerous expansions granted to Waste Management.
Mrs. Cuthbert voiced her concerns over the potential health effects to residents, especially children, the elderly and those already sick in the Greater Pottstown Area, including Limerick; Spring City; Royersford; Linfield; Sanatoga and Phoenixville to name just a few of the areas that may already be experiencing the detrimental effects from the current emissions to our air, soil and water.

    Hall of Fame:
Despite being outvoted 4-1, West Pottsgrove Commissioner Joseph Karpinski voted no to the latest request for expansion of the Pottstown Landfill by Waste Management. Hats off to you Joe, for your efforts.

    Hall of Shame:
Shame on you, Tom O'Neil, President of W.Pottsgrove Board of Commissioners for denying the public a right to speak BEFORE calling for a vote on Pottstown Landfill expansion AND for summoning police to remove a woman who only wanted to hand the board a document.