CITY OF COHOES

OFFICE OF THE MAYOR

WILLIAM T. KEELER Telephone: (518) 233-2119

Mayor Facsimile: (518) 233-2159

97 Mohawk Street mayor@ci.cohoes.ny.us

Cohoes, New York 12047 www.cohoes.com

March 3, 2022

Victor Creixell
Tradebe Global CEO
Av. Barcelona 105 5 planta
Sant Joan Despí
Barcelona, Spain 08970, ES

Dear Mr. Creixell,

I write to express my concern about content in your recently published essay titled “We Hear You,
Cohoes, and We’d Like to Invest.” In theory, a working class community like Cohoes would welcome
investment in the creation of a state-of-the-art laboratory and research center. In fact, expanding Norlite’s
footprint in Cohoes for the purpose of experimenting on new and different ways to incinerate hazardous
waste in our community is not the type of investment we seek or would encourage. Your missive glosses
over the decades-long negative impact Norlite has had on this community, and particularly on the
residents of the Saratoga Sites public housing facility, located in the shadows of the hazardous waste
incineration facility.
To be clear, your statement that “The residents are not being moved because of the presence nearby of
our Norlite facility” is absolutely not true. I assure you, the only reason I have been advocating for the
relocation of 70 families from their homes in Saratoga Sites is because of Norlite’s uncontrolled fugitive
dust, and chronic violations of regulations governing the company’s incineration of hazardous waste
adjacent to this much needed housing. While it is true that Norlite was there first, the company began
using hazardous waste as its fuel source long after those residents moved into Saratoga Sites.

You write that “There is no credible scientific evidence to support” (the claim) “that norlite poses a risk
to Saratoga Sites,” and that “Dust does occasionally leave our operation, which is a nuisance, not a
health threat, and we are actively working to correct that.” These claims run counter to the fact that, for
decades, the Norlite facility has been a serial violator of Federal and State regulations; in 2020 reached a
settlement with the EPA regarding hazardous waste incineration violations; is currently under
investigation by the New York State Attorney General’s Office; and in just the last month has been issued
a “Cease and Desist” order by the State, due to Norlite’s fugitive dust violations. This regulatory
oversight is based on scientific evidence.

I do agree with your recommendation that people read the 2005 study by a federal health agency. Though
the 2005 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease
Registry (ATSDR) study does include some references to “no apparent public health hazard” that does
not accurately represent the full report. Findings regarding fugitive dust indicated insufficient data to
make a conclusion, and called for additional study before a determination could be made regarding
potential health hazards. Their findings on stack emissions were based on the presumption that the
facility is in compliance with its permit conditions, which the record shows Norlite has not always been.

In the last six months or more, there seems to be an effort to portray Norlite as an environmentally
responsible company, seeking to be a good neighbor. As I have said previously, regrettably the
company’s track record does not match that rhetoric. Meeting those benchmarks the company has set
requires actually abiding by the oversight of the regulatory agencies, adhering to mandates, and truly
being responsive to the community.

If you are sincere about wanting to invest in our community, then I encourage Tradebe and Norlite to
invest time and energy advancing the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s
(DEC) permit review process. Immediately invest in implementing a comprehensive and effective
Fugitive Dust Control Plan that includes moving the piles away from the eastern end of the property
adjacent to homes, covering the piles, and controlling baghouse dust and other fugitive dust that is leaving
the property. Proactively stop applying the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency “Bevill Exclusion” to
the Hazardous Waste Permit operations at the Norlite facility. Invest in more robust efforts to meet
Federal Clean Air Act regulations, including adhering to emissions limits on hazardous waste
incineration. If you want to experiment in our community, we would welcome Norlite shifting its fuel
source away from hazardous waste, and experiment on truly clean energy fuel sources including solar and
geothermal on the Norlite facility’s current footprint.

As I have requested repeatedly during these last few years, there are steps Norlite could take immediately:
covering the piles, addressing the baghouse dust issues, and adhering to emissions standards. These are
not items Norlite needs the DEC’s or the NYS Attorney General’s permission to do. Norlite can and
should do that now. Only then can the company appropriately use “Norlite” and “good neighbor” in the
same sentence.

Sincerely,

William T. Keeler, Mayor

CC: U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer

U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, (D-NY)
U.S. Representative Paul Tonko (D-NY-20)
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Basil Seggos
New York State Senator Neil Breslin
New York State Assemblymember John McDonald
Cohoes Common Council
Cohoes Housing Authority Executive Director Matthew Ethier
Cohoes Housing Authority Board of Commissioners President Mark Pascale
Tradebe Environmental & Regulatory Compliance Manager Prince Knight
Tradebe Plant Manager David Maguffin