A proposal by a manufacturer from India to build its first U.S. plastic pipe and packaging factory in the Town of Lockport – with tax breaks – is generating opposition from environmental groups across the state.
They are outraged that a product with proven links to cancer and potential for pollution would be made in Niagara County with support from taxpayers.
A coalition of 63 organizations, led by a Vermont-based nonprofit affiliated with Bennington College, is calling on the Lockport Industrial Development Agency to reject an application by SRI CV Plastics Inc. for up to $600,000 in tax breaks and state incentives for its $2.34 million project.
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The critics say SRI CV’s polyvinyl chloride (PVC) products are not only harmful to the environment and to people because of the chemicals involved in production, but also pose a significant risk of fire and damage to communities. They noted that vinyl chloride – the chemical used to make PVC – is the same chemical that was set on fire and released into the atmosphere in February in East Palestine, Ohio.
“Plastics facilities bring risks to the communities where they are sited,” said Judith Enck, president of Beyond Plastics and the former regional administrator for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. “In addition to potential disasters, these plants also expose local residents and workers to toxic chemicals associated with cancer, birth…
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