CLEARFIELD – The state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has granted PA Waste LLC an extension until Jan. 15 to respond to deficiencies found within its Camp Hope Run landfill permit application, reported Commissioner Joan Robinson-McMillen, chair, at Tuesday’s Clearfield County Commissioner’s workshop meeting.
PA Waste is proposing the construction of a landfill that would be located on an 845-acre facility boundary along state Route 153 in Boggs Township. It would be double-lined and able to receive 5,000 tons of waste daily for the next 25 years, according to previous GantDaily.com reports.
The DEP had issued a denial for PA Waste’s Camp Hope Run landfill permit application. However, the state Environmental Hearing Board overturned that denial and returned the landfill permit application back to the DEP for further consideration, said Robinson-McMillen.
According to her, the DEP had previously detailed numerous deficiencies with PA Waste’s landfill permit application. She said the DEP was particularly concerned with the impact the proposed Camp Hope Run landfill would have on the water table and subsidence beneath it due to a clay mine there. Additionally, she said the DEP had noted PA Waste hadn’t conducted a traffic study.
Robinson-McMillen said originally the DEP had granted PA Waste an extension until Nov. 25. But after speaking with DEP officials recently, she learned the DEP had granted another 30-day extension to PA Waste’s deadline to respond to the deficiencies found in its Camp Hope Run landfill permit application.
“DEP officials do not count weekends or any days that they do not work,” she said. “With the holidays, this gives PA Waste even more extra time.” She said the commissioners intended to write the DEP officials and inquire about how many extensions they planned to grant to PA Waste.
She said the DEP continues to give PA Waste “chances” to remedy its Camp Hope Run landfill permit application. “Starting as early as elementary school, you’re given deadlines, and when you don’t meet them, there are consequences. It’s just a fact of life,” she said. “If they ever get a permit, this doesn’t speak well of the way they do business, which is another concern. PA Waste has never operated a landfill before.”
Commissioner John A. Sobel said it was his understanding that the DEP could grant as many extensions as it wanted to. However, he said at some point, PA Waste needs to face some consequences from the DEP. Commissioner Mark B. McCracken noted the DEP had found more than 70 deficiencies with the PA Waste landfill permit application, and they planned to request that the DEP not grant any further extensions and reject the Camp Hope Run landfill proposal.