NY Environmentalists Fighting Company’s Ash Dump Proposal

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Environmental groups are mounting opposition to a New Hampshire-based company's proposal to create an incinerator ash dump at a Hudson Valley quarry.

Portsmouth-based Wheelabrator Technologies wants to operate an ash dump in the Greene County town of Catskill, 35 miles (56 kilometers) south of Albany. The company is applying for the required permits from the New York state Department of Environmental Conservation.

Environmentalists say about 450,000 tons of ash would be trucked from incinerators in New York to the quarry, which is located near the Hudson River.

A new coalition of environmental and community groups is calling on Catskill's elected officials to reject the ash dump. The coalition is holding a news conference on Monday in Albany to outline their plans.

Company officials say the dump won't hurt the environment.