Here is an example from Pennsylvania of the kind of first steps local
communities must take to confront higher levels of government and exert
their right to decide their own destiny and move toward a sustainable
future. I believe we will see increasing local efforts of this kind as
local communities see how state and federal policies serve powerful
private interests, not the public good.
Karl North
Northland Sheep Dairy, Freetown, New York USA
www.geocities.com/northsheep/
"Mother Nature never farms without animals" - Albert Howard
"Pueblo que canta no morira" - Cuban saying
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Dozens of Communities Adopt Resolutions Defending Local Self-Government
Stand with East Brunswick as Attorney General Corbett Sues on Behalf
of Sludge Dumpers
CONTACT: Ben Price, Projects Director
(717) 243-6725
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
July 12, 2008
(Chambersburg, PA, July 11, 2008) Municipal governments across
Pennsylvania are voting their support for the right of a small
Schuylkill County Township to protect its citizens against
corporations dumping sewage sludge in violation of their local law.
On December 6, 2006, the Board of Supervisors in East Brunswick
Township upheld their oaths to protect the health, safety and welfare
of the community by enacting an Ordinance that prohibits corporate
sludge dumping. Their vote came after months of petitioning and
organizing by residents, who argued that Pennsylvanians retain the
right to make local self-governing decisions for the protection of
their communities, and that those rights cannot be preempted by the
State.
With reports continuing to come in, so far twenty-two local
governments have reported passing Resolutions in support of East
Brunswick, and in opposition to State Attorney General Thomas
Corbetts law suit in which he has asked the Commonwealth Court to
strip the community of its local law. Five other communities and
organizations have signed on as legal allies of East Brunswick, filing
friend of the court briefs, and asking the Commonwealth Court to
leave the Ordinance intact. Those allies include: Tamaqua Borough in
Schuylkill County, Donegal Township in Washington County, Blaine
Township in Washington County, the Town of Barnstead in New Hampshire,
the Town of Halifax in Virginia, the Pennsylvania Farmers Union, the
Pennsylvania Family Farm Coalitio n, and Democracy Unlimited of
Humboldt County California.
In a legal brief filed with the Court against East Brunswick on
January 31, 2008, the Attorney Generals office had this to say:
There is no inherent right to local self government. Municipal
officials and Pennsylvanians from a growing list of communities have
made a point to publicly and officially disagree.
On June 27th, Stephen C. Brown, Township Manager for London Grove
Township in Chester County wrote on behalf of that municipality: The
Board voted 5-0 to support East Brunswick Township in your drive to
support the right of Townships to local self-government. The London
Grove Supervisors believe this basic issue of self-determination is of
the utmost importance to our community and to communities throughout
the Commonwealth.
Bethel Township in Berks County passed a Resolution on June 16th
expressing concern about actions of certain Commonwealth of
Pennsylvania Agencies which seek to limit and/or impair the ability of
local government to enact Ordinances and take actions that directly
impact on the health, safety and welfare of residents within local
government jurisdiction.
Conewango Township in Warren County passed their Resolution on the 9th
of June, explaining their full support of East Brunswick Township
Board of Supervisors and its residents in their efforts to defend
their sewage sludge Ordinance against the suit filed by the Office of
the Attorney General, saying in part representatives of agribusiness
and waste disposal corporations succeeded, after years of efforts
opposed by communities and local governments, in driving anti-
democratic legislation through the Pennsylvania General Assembly to
strip municipalities of self-governing authority over issues that
directly effect local citizens
On June 5th, York Countys Hopewell Township joined others in
prefacing their support for East Brunswicks stand with provisions
like the se: Whereas, just government is ever at the consent of the
governed, and the People of East Brunswick have taken a clear stand in
enacting said Ordinance indicating that they do not consent to the
disposal of sewage sludge in their community; and Whereas, a denial of
local self-governing authority by the State on behalf of corporations
that will especially benefit from such usurpation is unjust,
illegitimate and beyond the authority of the State or any government
Borough Manager Chris L. Boehm of Macungie wrote on June 13th, We
agree that the people who reside in the community and are directly
affected by decisions must be the ones to make them. We support East
Brunswick Township Board of Supervisors and its residents in their
efforts to defend their sludge ordinance and wish you all the best.
A partial list of communities that have passed similar Resolutions in
support of Local Self-Government:
London Grove Township in Chester County
Bethel Township in Berks County
Conewango Township in Warren County
Daugherty Township in Beaver County
Eden Township in Lancaster County
Elk Township in Warren County
Hopewell Township in York County
Lancaster Township in Lancaster County
Lausanne Township in Carbon County
Macungie Borough in Lehigh County
Maidencreek Township in Berks County
Maxatawny Township in Berks County
Millersburg Borough in Dauphin County
Oregon Township in Wayne County
Oxford Township in Adams County
Peters Township in Washington County
Shrewsbury Township in York County
Tamaqua Borough in Schuylkill County
Thompson Township in Fulton County
Tilden Township in Berks County
West Brandywine Township in Chester County
West Brunswick Township in Schuylkill County
Since the Attorney General filed his law suit against East Brunswick,
these (and perhaps other) municipalities have adopted Ordinances to
prohibit and make impractical the surface dumping of sewage sludge:
Mahanoy Township in Schuylkill County
Packer Township in Carbon County
Branch Township in Schuylkill County
Other communities are actively considering adoption of similar
Ordinances, including Shrewsbury Township in York County, which has
voted to advertise a public hearing to consider adoption, with a vote
likely in September.
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