Merrick-Bellmore residents protest Freeport's garbage plan

More than 100 residents of Freeport and neighboring communities like Merrick, Bellmore and Rockville Centre converged on Freeport Village Hall on Monday to protest Mayor Andrew Hardwick's reported proposal to build a $550 million waste-to-energy trash incinerator in south Freeport, near the Merrick border.

The incinerator plan drew opposition on many fronts, ranging from environmental, health, safety and traffic concerns to the strictly political.

To date, the village has not publicly announced plans or presented blueprints for the facility, which would require that it issue a request for proposals before a bidder for the project were selected.

Hempstead Town Councilwoman Angie Cullin, a Republican from Freeport, said Hardwick "hasn't discussed this with anybody. All we know is that it's going to be in south Freeport somewhere."

Village Trustee Jorge Martinez said he has not seen a report from the mayor on the possible plant, though he said Hardwick has made two trips -- to China and Germany -- to study waste-to-energy plants.

Hardwick did not return phone calls for comment. He did, however, issue a statement on his Facebook page (see box below), saying the village is considering a waste-to-energy plant, but he did not commit to one.

What is waste-to-energy?

Waste-to-energy plants create electricity by burning garbage. The plant reportedly would be built on 32 acres in south Freeport, near the site of Freeport Power Plant No. 2, just south of the BJs store off Merrick Road, and it would be similar in size and scope to the Covanta waste-to-energy plant in Westbury, off the Meadowbrook Parkway.

Residents said they fear that tons of garbage would be hauled in from New York City for incineration, and that soot would be spewed into the atmosphere and, potentially, into nearby communities.