I support recycling and the creation of living wage jobs, however, I oppose ABC Recycling building an industrial metal shredder on Marine Drive for the following reasons:

Metal shredders pose significant environmental and safety concerns: An emergency alert from the EPA has been issued due to metal shredders’ probable release of toxic pollutants, including heavy metals, which will disperse into nearby vulnerable neighborhoods. A metal shredder on Marine Drive poses a serious threat to the community.

Fires and Explosions: Fires and explosions causing catastrophic accidents, and pollution, are known to occur at metal shredders of the proposed size and larger..

Noise Pollution: The operation of metal shredders is very loud. The antiquated Heavy Industrial zoning, at the dormant property, allows for 24/7 operation, and lacks any buffer zone to protect nearby, dense, urban neighborhoods, which include schools, churches, and businesse

Trucks and traffic: A shredder on Marine Drive would result in over 40 trucks, and possibly more, with the risk of heavy metal (ie. Lead) dust, traversing Bennett St. and downtown Bellingham daily, dispersing pollution, further disrupting the community and causing road damage.

Community damage: Loss of property values, and livability for a large swath of residential area near the shredder, reduces land for housing, during an affordable housing crisis, along with tax revenue. 

As well, the operation, with little economic value, will deplete water, and wastewater capacity.

Moreover, our local area will not only shoulder the weight of diminished property values, reduced tax revenue, escalated expenses for infrastructure upkeep, water, electricity, stormwater control, and the disposal of hazardous solid waste, but also stands to gain few employment opportunities, while ABC, a Canadian corporation, is poised to reap substantial profits from this venture with little investment in the community.

ABC Recycling’s promise of a limited number of non-union jobs with inadequate wages fails to address the need for family-sustaining incomes in our community.

Finally, the requested moratorium is very limited in scope, only reasonably pausing development on land that is zoned Heavy Industrial within a UGA, saving lives, and encouraging a safe balance between industry and residents.