CLEARFIELD – PA Waste LLC has filed an appeal against the state Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) decision to deny its application for a proposed municipal waste landfill in Boggs Township, announced Clearfield County Commissioner Joan Robinson-McMillen, chair, at Tuesday’s work session.
PA Waste of Feasterville, Bucks County, originally submitted its landfill application to the DEP in 2006. On April 9, the DEP denied PA Waste’s landfill application after a thorough review that occurred over the past several years, stating that PA Waste failed to address all of the technical deficiencies contained within it.
According to the DEP, some of the technical deficiencies included sub-base contact with groundwater; improper leachate collection and treatment; inefficient functionality of the leachate detection zone; improper liner installation procedures; and inadequate erosion and sedimentation control measures.
Robinson-McMillen said that the commissioners were recently advised about the PA Waste’s appeal of the DEP’s denial of the landfill application. She said the PA Waste appealed the decision to the Environmental Hearing Board (EHB).
Robinson-McMillen said the commissioners have strongly opposed the PA Waste municipal waste landfill application and will continue to support the DEP’s decision to deny it. “It was a technically- and scientifically-sound decision,” she said.
Commissioner Mark B. McCracken called attention to the fact that the DEP conducted a thorough review of the PA Waste landfill application. He noted that PA Waste had second, third and fourth chances to respond to deficiencies contained within its landfill application. “I’m confident the DEP’s decision will stand up,” he said.
PA Waste Landfill Application Timeline
According to the DEP, PA Waste submitted a permit application in September of 2006 for a new, double-lined 221-acre municipal waste landfill called “Camp Hope Run” to be constructed in Boggs Township. The landfill was proposed to accept 5,000 tons per day of municipal waste.
- The Local Municipality Involvement Process meeting was held in January of 2007, and the application was determined to be administratively complete the following month.
- In July of 2008, the DEP denied the application, primarily because of site suitability requirements in Act 101. PA Waste appealed this decision to the EHB. The EHB sustained the appeal in November of 2010, and remanded the decision to the DEP.
- The DEP resumed its review of the application, including site suitability, as part of the required environmental assessment and determined in late August of 2012 that the benefits outweighed the harms.
- In January of 2013, at the request of local citizens and elected officials, the DEP held a public hearing attended by about 170 people to accept formal testimony. About three dozen people presented testimony during the public hearing, with the vast majority opposing the project.
- In February of 2013, the DEP sent a technical deficiency letter to PA Waste, citing 71 deficiencies. A pre-denial letter was issued by the DEP in August of 2013, explaining the remaining deficiencies. The DEP granted multiple extensions to PA Waste to submit additional technical information.
- PA Waste’s November of 2014 submission did not address all of the deficiencies in the company’s municipal waste landfill permit application.