YOU'RE
INVITED! Take action next Tuesday Dec 15th to Stop the Incinerator!
The United Workers hope you can attend an action on Tues., Dec. 15t to follow
through on the demand of 1000's of Marylanders for the Maryland Department of
the Environment (MDE) to do their job and enforce the law. As of this moment,
MDE has not taken action and the need for us to take action is clearer than
ever. If you haven't already, please register for the event now. http://www.unitedworkers.org/maryland_department_of_the_environment_enforce_the_law?utm_campaign=mde_dec_5th_4&utm_medium=email&utm_source=unitedworkers
People
from all across Maryland and beyond have been a part of the effort to stop the
incinerator and to replace it with positive alternatives. We have been inspired
by our friends in Frederick, MD who after many years of struggle managed to
stop a proposed incinerator. Like us here in Baltimore, residents in Frederick
are also leading the effort to bring about positive alternatives like a
resource recovery park. We are pleased to share this recent article by Veroncia
Poklemba of Frederick on the connections between our struggles and the need to
recognize that in order to build power we need to collaborate across
divisions.
We
call upon our friends from outside of Baltimore to recognize the action next
Tuesday December 15th as one of those moments for all of us to come together to
find a common cause in our call for justice and for the basic recognition that
our public institutions must be accountable to us. MDE's mission is incredibly
important - to protect the health and environment for ALL Marylanders. Next
Tuesday's action is about making it clear to MDE that it's time for them to do
their job.
Now,
on to the wonderful piece from our friends in Frederick:
Baltimore
incinerator could affect Frederick County
•
Veronica Poklemba, Ijamsville - Dec 5, 2015
Here in Frederick we are sometimes out of the loop regarding things happening
in other parts of Maryland. But there is an important issue in Baltimore right
now that warrants our action. The largest trash incinerator in the nation is
slated to begin construction in Baltimore in 2016. Trash incinerators actually
pollute more than fossil fuel plants; pollutants include dioxin, mercury,
nitrogen oxide, lead and carbon dioxide. The air quality in Baltimore is
already among the worst in the country, with 20 percent of Baltimore children
having asthma, twice the national average. Poor air quality adds to the
problems of people with respiratory conditions overall, including asthma.
Many of us work in Baltimore, have children attending college in Baltimore, or
other family and friends living there. Some of us like to spend an occasional
day at the Inner Harbor or in Little Italy. These are all reasons to pay
attention to this issue. In addition, the pollutants that emit from the smokestack
of that incinerator will not just sit over Baltimore. Air quality will be
affected throughout the state.
The Maryland Department of the Environment has the option of canceling the
permits for the incinerator, which would end this project right now. The reason
they can do this is that the construction schedule outlined in the permits has
not been followed. It is not clear why MDE is not taking this action, since it
is their goal to protect health. Baltimore city and 22 other public entities
have all withdrawn support for this incinerator. With time, all have realized
there will be too many negative effects if this project is completed. As a
result, 4,000 tons of trash will be imported into the city daily if the project
proceeds, resulting in an increase in dump trucks on the roads surrounding
Baltimore. Another hazard for us all.
You
can contribute to stopping this incinerator by contacting the Maryland
Department of the Environment at this time. Contact by phone, letter or email
and tell the MDE to cancel the permits for the trash incinerator in Baltimore.
The community group that has been working to stop this incinerator will be
gathering at MDE on Dec. 15 from 4 to 6 p.m. to once again request that the
permits be canceled. I’m sure all would be welcome.
Veronica
Poklemba
_______
RSVP
for Tuesday Dec 15th online: http://www.unitedworkers.org/events
RSVP
on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/427492174118630/
When:
Tuesday December 15th 4 - 6 pm
Where:
MDE headquarters within the Montgomery Park Building - 1800 Washington Blvd,
Baltimore MD 21230
What:
A chance for everyone who has taken a stand on this issue to follow through
directly with MDE to make your voice heard
IMPORTANT:
Parking is free for those visiting the Montgomery Park building. Simply pull
into the lot - let the attendant know that you are visiting MDE and you will be
buzzed in. Please use the "red" lot right in front of the building
unless redirected to the "blue" lot (see image below). We will have
organizers stationed in both lots to direct everyone to the action.
Email
Greg Sawtell greggalen@gmail.com
with any questions related to Dec 15th!
United
Workers
Donations can be sent
to the Baltimore Nonviolence Center, 325 E. 25th St., Baltimore, MD
21218. Ph: 410-366-1637; Email: mobuszewski [at] verizon.net. Go to http://baltimorenonviolencecenter.blogspot.com/
"The master class
has always declared the wars; the subject class has always fought the battles.
The master class has had all to gain and nothing to lose, while the subject
class has had nothing to gain and everything to lose--especially their
lives." Eugene Victor Debs
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