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Residents urge Philadelphia not to send trash to Chester incinerator; youth letter shared with council
Summary
During public comment, community members and a youth letter urged Philadelphia to stop shipping trash to Chester’s incinerator; speakers noted ongoing campaigns and a temporary extension of Philadelphia’s contract, and asked the city to continue pressure to reduce pollution burdens on Chester.
Chester — Community members used the council’s public-comment period April 8 to press municipal leaders on youth services, memorials and the steady flow of out-of-city trash to Chester’s waste-incineration facility.
Victor Cabral of Four Circles read a letter written by 17-year-old Chloe Donner urging Philadelphia not to send its trash to Chester, saying the city — a smaller community — should not bear the pollution burden for another city’s waste. Cabral told council he worked with youth to draft letters to Philadelphia leadership and that the Stop Trashing Our Air Act in Philadelphia had been delayed after officials extended a contract by one year to allow time for an RFP process.
The letter read aloud said in part: “I feel that Philadelphia should not send its trash to Chester because it’s not fair to our community, our people, and our health … I’m still a teenager and I want to grow up healthy and strong.”
Speakers described organizing and intergovernmental pressure: callers and council members said Delaware County is already redirecting some waste away from the incinerator and that conversations with Philadelphia and other jurisdictions, including outreach to New York, are underway to reduce Chester’s pollution burden. Commenters asked council to keep advocating for policy changes and for outreach to the new mayors in other cities.
Why it matters: Several residents framed waste contracts as an environmental-justice issue that places pollution and health risks on Chester residents. Council members said the city’s advocacy has prompted at least a temporary contract-extension move in Philadelphia and that continued pressure is warranted as related decisions progress.
What’s next: Speakers urged the mayor and council to continue meetings with regional partners and to support youth engagement in advocacy. Council did not take formal action at the April 8 meeting but recorded the public testimony and pledged ongoing attention to waste and air-quality concerns raised by residents.
