by Chris Smith
Architectural rendering of Anellotech’s proposed expansion on the former Pfizer campus in Pearl River, NY. Source: Anellotech.com
Over the past few weeks there has been much discussion with regard to Anellotech opening a facility on the Pfizer campus in Pearl River. While said discussion has its controversy, it will in fact bring tax revenue into our town coffer. With that said, our community must be reminded that this is not the only thought we must focus on!
Anellotech cannot provide us with any true data regarding emissions from their facility once in operation. We have no way of honestly knowing the dangers of their Smokestack!”
They claim it is equivalent to driving two cars a day, but; my concern lies with taking the word of this “for profit” company and I seriously feel it would behoove our community to procure an independent company to do the research on our behalf. This way, we will have an intelligent conversation regarding the pros and cons of Anellotech.
Another very significant concern surfaces while beginning to investigate the future use of the Pfizer campus and that is: Our land use laws. These laws have been minimally enforced while our “politically connected” builders and lawyers have chosen to take a blinds eye regarding the safety of our community. Many members of our land use boards have some political connection in our town, that must cease immediately. Our boards should be made up of community activists, who look out for our town and it’s residents and experts in specific industries such as, architects, electricians or plumbers. Putting community advocates and experts on these boards, would make sure we do not end up in the same position in the future.
Therefore, I respectfully suggest our Town Board members place a six month moratorium on issuing any permits or having our land use boards issue any decisions that relate to air quality issues or bio mass production so that we may take a magnifying glass to our land use laws and update them to protect the residents and our community accordingly. We can no longer stand idly by and let our community be run over by the well connected.
Chris Smith is a candidate for the Orangetown Town Board
Anellotech Company Description (from Anellotech.com About Us)
- Anellotech is a research company creating a green technology process to produce chemicals from non-food biomass which up until now were made from petroleum.
- Biomass consists of renewable, sustainable non-food materials such as wood, sawdust, corn stover (the corn plant minus the kernel), sugar cane byproduct, and more.
- Using biomass as a feedstock for making chemicals can reduce the world’s reliance on petroleum and help counter climate change and global warming.
- Anellotech’s process, when licensed to others for commercial scale use, will enable economical, cost-competitive production of these renewable “green” chemicals.
- Long-term, Anellotech’s business plan is to license its technology to other companies for commercial-scale manufacturing and production in the USA and internationally. Research and development will continue at the Pearl River corporate headquarters.
