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Our Lives at Risk

The application before Clinton’s Inland Wetlands Commission (IWC) by Shoreline Rail and Recycling for an industrial recycling facility, aka industrial waste dump, at 30 Route 145 is a catastrophic ecological threat to Clinton.

The facility would be located on a flood plain, surrounded by inland wetlands that form the watershed to the tidal wetlands, Hammock River, and Clinton Harbor and Beach. This facility would wreak havoc with Clinton’s precious and fragile tidal marshes, shellfish beds, harbor, and beach.

Among those who’ll profit from this is the applicant’s attorney Thomas E. Cronan, who wasn’t able to attend the recent IWC public hearing. You might recall Attorney Cronan, who represented the CVS developer that has brought us the ugly mess, eyesore and destruction of downtown Clinton.

At the hearing, Attorney Timothy Shields, a partner of Mr. Cronan, read a letter from Mr. Cronan. It discounted the entire public hearing, claiming the record reflects that the IWC determined the proposed site is not a significant use and a public hearing was optional. That is not reflected in any minutes of the IWC of any meetings held prior to the first public hearing, March 6. Attorney Shields insulted the public by dismissing the value of their testimony at the hearings, which drew loud boos from the 200-plus audience.

It is unconscionable that Attorney Cronan’s law firm continues to participate in efforts to demean the town and citizens of Clinton. It’s our lives that will be at risk to hazardous air and water pollution, wetland destruction, and more in our own backyard. We are the experts!

I encourage your readers to attend the hearing on Tuesday, April 17, at 7 p.m. at The Morgan School and to go on record by writing the IWC c/o Town Hall. They will listen. Our testimony does count!

Pamela Fritz

Clinton