Dear Friends,

I am sorry to say that Project Return To Sender has stalled. The contractor doing the clean up operation, Caribbean Dredging, has doggedly and patiently looked for a site since September. The list of states which have rejected the ash include Virginia, South Carolina, Delaware, Louisiana, Alabama, and even Pennsylvania itself. In each case, local management of Waste Management, the company which now owns Eastern Environmental Services and which gave the original offer to accept the waste, has rejected the ash.

The U.S. State Department, the NYC Trade Waste Commission and the even the City of Philadelphia have claimed that they support the return of the ash but have not been able to get Waste Management - or anyone else - to accept it.

Obviously the situation causes problems for the Government of Haiti, which gave its word it would complete this project. It is causing severe financial hardship for the contractor. It is environmentally wrong, because the ash is sitting on the pier in Gonaives. Its a problem for the pier owner and for the local people. None of this seems to matter to the US entities who could, if they wished, take responsibility for the bringing the ash home. The Mayor's office says it does not object to bringing the ash to Pennsylvania, but, outrageously, insists it cannot come through the Port of Philadelphia. They are afraid of embarassment.

In December, I was told that we were only days away from a solution. I was asked to keep quiet about the project, and told that publicity would harm our prospects. I have respected that request. Unfortunately it has not helped. I will begin talking to the press, or anyone who will listen, again publiclly starting next week.

In addition, the Governor's role should be brought to light. The politics around interstate trash exports have intensified lately, and made Waste Management wary of "importing" this into Pennsylvania. Yet this waste comes from the state! The Governor has been silent - and his office does not even return phone calls or emails on the subject. A simple statement that this is in-state waste, that he supports the project, would be helpful.

Please contact the Mayor and Governor and urge them to help resolve this problem. I know some of you are already doing this. But we must get louder again.

Here are the addresses for people to write to request action to finally get Philadelphia's waste home:

Mayor Ed Rendell City Hall, Room 202 Philadelphia, PA 19102 Ph: 215-686-1776

Governor Tom Ridge 225 Main Capitol Harrisburg, PA 17120 Ph: 717-787-2500

We are not giving up!

Yours,

Kenny