Ten years ago, my wife Carol and I bought a home in the Mahoning Valley. This home is located four miles from the Panther Creek Power Plant in Nesquehoning. I personally object to Panther Creek’s use of Tire Derived Fuels. In preparing for this article, I researched the effects of tire burning. I did not need to look hard or long to find plenty of cautionary information on this subject. Burning tires releases benzine, zylene, etheline, and acetone. All these chemicals are known to cause cancer. Additionally, tire burning produces dioxin, an extremely dangerous and persistent carcinogen that accumulates in the food chain and animal tissue. Having a power plant that burns tires on an industrial scale four miles from our home deeply concerns me. What is more concerning is that the plant is already burning tires without a D.E.P. permit and without monitoring pollution levels.

I was raised in the Coal Region until I joined the military when I was 17. My family owned and operated a car salvage yard in Freeland. I remember very well that my grandfather burned tires to avoid disposal costs and to separate the tires from their steel rims which we sold as scrap. Even though I doubt my grandfather, a coal miner who suffered from black lung, realized that burning tires released chemicals that he had never heard of or understood into the environment. He did realize that public reaction to the black smoke and odors might create animosity towards the family business. So, he would only burn tires on very foggy days to help avoid detection.

I had the opportunity to live all over the country and abroad. I have never seen more apathy towards environmental issues than exists in Carbon and Luzerne counties. Even though Carbon County derives most of its revenue from environmental tourism, e.g., the Poconos, Lehigh River, and Delaware and Lehigh Trail system, not enough awareness or concern exists to remedy some of our most immediate environmental concerns.

As concerned residents of Carbon County, we need to oppose Panther Creek’s plan to use TDF’s.

Stephen Chuckra

Lehighton