Town of Poughkeepsie residents have serious concerns about Tilcon, a stone quarry and asphalt company, attempting to move its Poughkeepsie asphalt plant approximately a quarter of a mile south along Sheafe Road, which they believe will affect the overall health of their community.
Victor Gennodie, a resident of Sheafe Road, said at a Jan. 23 Town Board meeting that Tilcon wants to move its Poughkeepsie asphalt plant closer to the company’s stone source, reducing the number of trucks it runs, but the downsides are pollutant emissions, noise and health risks being imposed on area residents.
“There is an asphyxiation odor when looking down on the plant operation,” Gennodie said. “Waste oil is burned and asphalt blacktop is mixed into the baggage.”
The complaint was raised by Gennodie to the town Planning Board on Jan. 3.
Gennodie said the Planning Board intends to examine the asphalt plant, with the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) to address any potential health threats. The Planning Board is asking for $20,000 from Tilcon for qualified special engineers and consultants to be hired to examine the site. Tilcon purchased the quarry approximately 12 years ago from Lonestar Industries, Inc.
Located behind Sheafe Road Elementary School, the property allocated by the quarry for the asphalt plant sits on a flood plain, Gennodie said.
“It’s less than 200 feet from Cobalt Lake, and they’re going to be within 75 to 100 feet of the flood plain,” he said.
Gennodie added that the asphalt plant is causing health problems, affecting those around the school as well as the students. He asked the Town Board to consider the impact of debris inhalation, which the children endure, and said he also spoke with the Wappingers school board about his concerns.
“Are you going to be able to call them (Tilcon) up and tell them to shut it (the asphalt plant) down, the kids can’t breathe?” Gennodie asked the board. “These people (Tilcon) are out of control. They don’t respect anybody, they just respect the dollar they make.”
Another Sheafe Road resident, Sandra Conde, agreed with Gennodie. She and her husband, Robert, have lived there for nine years, and she said the noise, vibration and pollution keep getting worse and worse.
“They (Tilcon) are saying their work is driven by demand, which means they could go all night,” Conde said.
“I have to drive my daughter to school, because there are no sidewalks on Sheafe Road,” she said. “It’s not safe,” citing heavy truck traffic, which arrive as early as 4:30 a.m. and run past 10 p.m., with a truck arriving every 15 minutes to a half-hour, she said.
Daily activity for residents has been one headache after another.
“They’ve been blasting so hard, they almost knocked over my entertainment center,” Conde said. In addition, Conde said she has to dust constantly and have the air filters in her home changed monthly.
Town Board member Stephan Krakower (R-5th Ward) said he was surprised by the asphalt plant impact, but has been aware of the effects from the blasts.
“I’ve had complaints from residents about blasting, but I’ve never had any complaint from any resident about the asphalt plant,” he said. “I was surprised how close it is to the (Sheafe Manor Trailer Park).”
“Right now I can lie in my bed; at 4:15 a.m., they have a loader pushing the piles up, at 5:20 a.m. all through the night they move materials through the trucks,” Gennodie said. “At nighttime, I can hear a guy toot the horn.”
Gennodie took action one time many years ago, but was arrested, he said.
“When they were coming out to that stone quarry at 4 a.m. in trailers going to New York City, I fought the quarry, and I didn’t block any traffic, but police said I did. I was arrested, handcuffed, had to do community service and pay a fine. I’m tired of it. I pay the taxes,” he said.
Town Board members suggested Gennodie maintain communication with the town planning and zoning board. Town Board member Jon J. Baisley (R-1st Ward) said he plans to make a site visit with Gennodie.
CAC still out of commission
Three Conservation Advisory Commission (CAC) appointments are still needed after supervisor Patricia Myers (D) announced the names of four of the seven CAC members. The rest will be tabled until the Town Board’s Feb. 20 meeting. Myers announced at Wednesday’s meeting the re-appointment of 1st Ward representative Margaret Kelland and newly appointed 4th Ward representative David Howard, who councilman Michael Cifone (R-4th Ward) suggested over previous CAC member Kurt Hornick. Other CAC members include 1st Ward representative Lucille Morovich and 6th Ward representative Richard Fine. After discussion, it was discovered that more than one individual in the CAC can be from the same ward. Myers added that spots are still available for those interested in being elected as CAC representatives within the 2nd, 3rd and 5th Wards.