Stop Anellotech, a grassroots community coalition which opposes the expansion of the Anellotech research facility located on the Pfizer campus in Pearl River, has filed an Article 78 petition in Rockland County Supreme Court, seeking to overturn the negative declaration issued by the Orangetown Planning Board last September that “the proposed action will not have a significant impact on the environment and a Draft Environmental Impact Statement will not be prepared.”
The planning board’s decision paved the way for Anellotech to proceed with its application to build an 85 foot high extension to its current facility, including a vent pipe on the roof, without going through the more thorough and detailed environmental review of a full SEQRA process. Anellotech claims that its facility is for research and development purposes only, but the community has expressed concern about the amount of toxic gas such as benzene, toluene and xylene that will be released into the atmosphere and ground water, as well as the content of the biomass feedstock. The facility is located in close proximity to homes and a school. Anellotech has maintained that the amount of toxic gas released will be well below the safety levels set by federal and state standards.
A public hearing on the matter before the Orangetown Zoning Board of Appeals has been continued to January 21 at 7:00 p.m.
Stop Anellotech was assisted by Brian Condon and Amy Witkowski of Condon & Associates, PLLC in Nanuet.
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