Residents, board raise completeness and contamination concerns about IWS DEIS and operations

Goshen Environmental Review Board members and residents told the town board the draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) for IWS does not provide full, usable answers on contamination control, worker and public health protections, and soil disposal plans.

The board and public speakers flagged what they said were gaps in the DEIS and raised several alleged permit and property-boundary issues that, if accurate, could affect whether a past special permit was properly granted. A resident provided recent aerial photos showing uncovered lowboy trailers and other trucks parked outside the area the applicant identified as its property.

Why it matters: IWS is a facility that handles contaminated material and related wastes. Board members said the town board, which is the lead agency for the SEQRA review, should not accept a DEIS that leaves operational and health safeguards vague. Multiple members recommended the town require specific contractors, testing protocols and disposal destinations be named rather than general promises that a vendor "will be engaged." A resident said uncovered trailers and alleged off-property parking raise immediate concerns about run-off and…