To the Editor:

I was disappointed to read that the Pennsylvania DEP is considering allowing the Northampton Generating plant permission to increase its lead emissions by a factor of 22 times its current level, making it the biggest lead polluter in the Lehigh Valley.

The state DEP says the Northampton Generating plant will still be below federal EPA guidelines.

The trouble with this is the federal EPA standards were not set for lead emitters being within a stone's throw of a large school complex. This is not just a "not in my backyard" issue; children living downwind even into New Jersey could be affected.

Many people are confused about the lead and mercury autism connection. Lead exposure study after study shows it contributes to a wide array of health effects including ADD, ADHD, cognitive impairment, delayed growth, immune suppression and many more.

To rub salt in the wound, the company has recently been heavily fined for being out of compliance and improper monitoring for the last three years. Plus, only a few of its emissions are actually monitored continuously, with lead toxins tested only once a year, leaving most of the plant's air pollution unknown.

Technology now exists and is tested and verified by the U.S. EPA to continuously monitor lead and other toxic chemicals on a continuous basis.

As the Northampton Generating plant has proven itself untrustworthy, state and local officials should mandate continuous real-time monitoring.

Residents can also help stop this increase in pollution by attending the state DEP's public meeting June 30 at 6 p.m. at the Northampton Memorial Community Center, 1601 Laubach Ave.

My questions at the meeting will be why, all of the sudden, do they need to increase lead output? Is it because they want to permanently burn spec fuel, which is basically Philadelphia's trash as the plant recently has been doing on a trail basis?

Tom Sedor

Northampton