HAMBURG, N.Y. (WKBW) — The calls against implementing an asphalt plant in Hamburg are adding another voice.
Town Supervisor Jim Shaw announced on his Facebook page, that he too is saying "no" towards the proposals.
The main cause for concern among neighbors in Hamburg is the potential environmental impact it would have on children, as the proposed location is near schools.
The plant's builders say everything involving the plant is up to code.
The Hamburg Central School District released a statement Wednesday.
As partners in the leadership of an organization dedicated to the learning, wellness and safety of our children and staff, the Board of Education and I are understandably paying very close attention to the deliberations of the Town of Hamburg Planning Board regarding the proposed operation of an asphalt plant at the site of the former Great Lakes Concrete.
We have been engaged in this issue and continue to become more educated about the potential health and safety challenges that could be caused by this type of an operation so close to many of our schools. We have engaged through regular dialogue with both Hamburg Town Supervisor Jim Shaw and Village of Hamburg Mayor Tom Moses, who are great partners and friends of the Hamburg Central School District. We have also consulted with local environmental experts. Additionally, our Assistant Superintendent, Barbara Sporyz, attended the most recent Planning Board meeting, and the district will continue to have a presence at those meetings. We are beginning to understand the scope of the applicant’s proposal, including the potential of harmful emissions that could come from a plant with the capacity to produce several hundreds of thousands of tons of asphalt per year.
It is important to note that the Board of Education and the Superintendent have neither a formal role in the Hamburg Town Planning Board process, nor any authority over who operates businesses in our school district. Stating a public position for, or against, this proposal, or any other proposal, is well outside the traditional purview of any official of the school district.
Finally, the Hamburg Central School District has athletic fields that are within 1,200 feet of the proposed site, and school buildings that are within 2,300 feet of the site. We are grateful for the careful deliberations that have been undertaken by the Town of Hamburg Planning Board, and we support their efforts to require a robust environmental analysis from the applicant in order to safeguard the health and wellness of our students and staff who learn and work so close the site of this proposed project.
Hamburg Central School District
