On Thursday, Sept. 17, at 8:45 a.m., a rally will be held at City Hall, North Apron, to protest the Mayor’s proposed extension of the City’s contract with Reworld Incinerator to continue burning our trash, thus generating tons of airborne pollutants and ash. Protesters will urge the City Council, which must approve all City contracts, to reject the Mayor’s proposal.

West Philly’s Councilmember, Jamie Gauthier, will offer the amendment to disapprove this contract when the Mayor sends it to the Council. Gauthier makes three main arguments against the contract extension:

• Burning trash fuels our City’s high rates of respiratory illness and accelerates global warming. The Council needs to protect our health and planet by rejecting this contract.

• Reworld is a chronic polluter. Since 2005, the company has incurred about 400 safety and environmental violations and nearly $1 million in fines.  Our tax dollars should not support a company that poisons our air and fails to protect its workers.

• Landfilling, while not a long-term solution, is far better for health and environment. A study conducted by DelCo found that burning trash and landfilling residual toxic ash is 23 times worse for human health and the environment than landfilling alone.

West Philly residents who oppose the burning of City trash can help to change this harmful City policy by joining this rally. They can then further support the protest by:

• Staying for the 10 a.m. Council meeting and signing up to make a brief statement.
• Spreading the word by displaying or circulating the attached flyer.
• Also conveying their opposition directly to:

Councilmember Cindy Bass
Phone 215-686-3424/5
Email: Cindy.bass@phila.gov

Councilmember Jim Harrity
Phone 215-686-8295
Email: jim.harrity@phila.gov

These two members’ votes will be decisive in the Council’s decision.

– Elaine Fultz