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Mamakating residents wary of mushroom plant

Thursday, Aug. 28, 2008
By Victor Whitman
Times Herald-Record

WURTSBORO — Mamakating town residents urged the Planning Board Wednesday night not to approve a scaled-back version of a Yukiguni Maitake mushroom plant.

More than 70 residents attended the public hearing to consider a revised site plan for the project on Route 209.

Speakers said major questions remain about the facility's water use, stormwater systems and building plans.

"Why are we holding a public hearing?" Mamakating resident Justina Burton said. "We just don't have enough information."

Opponents of the plant, such as the Basha Kill Area Association, are pushing for more public hearings. Andrew Willingham, an engineer hired by the BKAA, said that much of the key information about the plant's environmental impacts aren't spelled out in the company's plans.

Yukiguni Maitake President Kaz Kameyama said his company wants a revision, which he says lessens the environmental impact. The facility will be smaller: 473,000 square feet as opposed to 914,000 square feet and 63.9 feet tall instead of 80 feet tall.

Kameyama said if the town requires additional environmental impact studies for the scaled-back version, the company will build the larger facility. Yukiguni Maitake obtained conditional site plan approval for the larger plant two years ago.

"I just listened carefully and I tried to make our plans acceptable even to the most opposed," Kameyama said. "I want to get along with those concerned. That is why I made changes for the better."

The plant, at full build out, will pump 438,000 gallons of water per day — less than the 600,000 the company planned to pump — and discharge 343,000 gallons back into the groundwater. The net consumption of the smaller plant is 95,000 gallons a day as opposed to 489,000 gallons.

Under the new system of cooling the plant, most of the water would run through pipes and then be discharged. Under the old system most of the water was evaporated. Environmentalists are concerned about the temperature and condition of the discharge.

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Mushroom plant hearing will continue on Sept. 23

WURTSBORO — Residents will get another chance to speak their mind on the Yukiguni Maitake mushroom plant. The Town of Mamakating Planning Board did not close the public hearing on Wednesday night on the project proposed for Route 209. The hearing will continue on Sept. 23.

Environmentalists and the company’s attorney urged the Planning Board to keep the hearing open. Yukiguni Maitake recently submitted detailed plans regarding its storm water and waste and processed water systems to the state.

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