Our group is asking the residents of the Greater Hazleton Area to examine the dredge proposal before accepting it. We are working to improve the environment by educating people about the dangers of exposure to toxic chemicals. Our mission is to prevent exposure and adverse human health effects and diminished quality of life related to human exposure to hazardous substances present in the silt and sludge under the Delaware and Hudson Rivers. Our mission is to advise our residents that the general permit for dumping allows the use of sludge from New York Harbor, Newark, the upper Hudson or any freshwater, saltwater or brackish water source. Our mission is to demonstrate to the public that the testing procedures in the permit are just for show.

Our mission includes exposing the potential environmental effects of dredging and the disposal of recovered materials. The Delaware River Keepers have pointed out the extent to which dredging and disposal of dredged materials might affect coastal marine and terrestrial environments and habitats. In general, impacts from the dredging process include disturbance to bottom communities and habitats, and increases in turbidity and settling from suspended sediments.

Dredged material has traditionally has been disposed of in close proximity to dredging activity wherever convenient, particularly on marshlands adjacent to the project site, and is capped or covered by sand or other clean fill to limit contact with the surrounding environment. In Hazleton's case there will be no protection from hazardous leaching either vertically up or down or horizontally in the case of the toxic gases created in the process.

Below is a Quote from the "Bark Camp Demonstration" where river dredge was also used to fill old coal mines. Ironically, the one problem which was discovered, was not re-tested after completion. The bureau simply theorized the reasoning for the appearance of the chlorides. If they are wrong about this, our water table can be ruined and turned to salt water over time.

"4.) The only statistically significant water monitoring impact detected over the course of the entire project was the appearance of chlorides from common salt in the marine dredged materials, sodium chloride, which fluctuated in relation to project activities and demonstrated the effectiveness of the water monitoring plan. Chlorides were expected due to the release of some salt water from marine dredged materials during handling, and a period of surface washing off the hardened material. But elevated chlorides were correlated with the use of municipal waste incinerator ash (MWIA) as a pozzolonic amendment in the later stages of the project and its placement as a grout, its use having been permitted prior to this project." (Page 13, item 4) <- Feel free to check out the report.

An interesting procedure in the Bark Camp report is the failure to do water testing downstream of the dump site. Testing was only done upstream. It is amazing that there were any negative effects at all. Placement of test wells at the Hazleton site is just as useless.

We have seen the results of other environmental projects in the area before. " Some unusual cancer clusters have been discovered in the Still Creek Reservoir area and in the Borough of Tamaqua and as a result, the reservoir has been the focus of some preliminary chemical testing."

"We further believe that the drinking water from the Still Creek Reservoir may be a contributing factor to the unusual cancer clusters seen in the Still Creek Reservoirarea and in the Borough of Tamaqua."

These cancer clusters will be nothing compared to the damage caused by the Hazleton project, especially the damage to those living in the Butler Valley drinking water emerging from the Jeddo Tunnel. One of the most beautiful areas anywhere may someday become unliveable due to tainted water.