Sarah Trafton is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media news has surfaced of a proposal to build a construction and demolition debris processing facility on the Athens waterfront. Athens Stevedoring and Environmental Development is looking to import 8,400 tons of construction and demolition materials weekly to a 6.1-acre site off North Washington Street, adjacent to the Athens Boat Launch. The debris will be transported by barge from Allocco Recycling in Brooklyn. After processing, the materials would then be trucked to locations throughout upstate New York. The project was brought to the attention of the village board by the group, Keep it Greene, which was formed in response to Wheelabrator Technologies' failed attempt to construct an ash monofill in Catskill, requiring the trucking in of 445,000 tons of waste per year. Athens resident Diana Abadie said the village boat launch is very popular, and if the facility is planning to operate 12 hours a day, six days a week, “...[e]ven the beauty of a fishing expedition or kayak trip could be disrupted by noise and dust.” Abadie also expressed safety concerns about the increased presence of barges as well as more truck traffic. “This project potentially has a serious environmental impact,” former EPA Regional Administrator Judith Enck said. “C&D debris is not just dirt and rocks,” she said. “It’s called ‘cocktailing,’ where toxic substances are blended in.” The materials can include lead paint and shingles containing asbestos. Enck said a full environmental review is in order, but before anything else happens, the applicant should hold a community meeting. "This should not happen behind closed doors," she said. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.