I have grave concerns for Lewiston and its surrounding communities regarding Casella’s plan to build a sorting facility.

Casella is promoting increased recycling as a distraction for its real purpose. It is my understanding that this 30-year proposal would allow Casella to dispose of 1.3 million tons of unprocessed construction material consisting of demolition debris containing arsenic-treated wood products and lead treated materials.

Arsenic, which has been banned as an additive to pressure-treated wood, can cause cancer, and lead, which has been banned as a paint additive, can result in mental retardation in children. Lead has also been banned from gasoline because of its harmful effects.

Do we want these poisons seeping into our groundwater or the Androscoggin River?

Casella management does not live here and will not have to live with the consequences, however, Lewiston residents will. Make no mistake, Casella is not making this offering as a good Samaritan – it is in it for the money. People should not be fooled into believing that taxes will go down, or that recycling will go up.

This proposal is a short-term solution with very harmful long-term consequences. Everyone should be up in arms about this issue, and I strongly urge the Lewiston City Councill to put an end to the initiative.

Mary Roussel, Auburn

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