The facility is hosting a tour on August 22, and you can attend by calling 1-888-373-2917 or emailing afors1@wm.com.
The county has nothing to do with the approval of landfill expansions, but is required to have a 10-year plan for the disposal of its solid waste.
According to Waste Management's Scott Perin, most of the garbage accepted now (between 60-70%) comes from Northampton, Berks and Lehigh County. That includes all of Allentown's garbage.
The proposed expansion is going to be a battle.
Plainfield Tp Supervisor Don Moore, who apparently had advance notice of the meeting from a member of Council, was at the meeting to express reservations before a presentation had even been made. He even brought a map. He noted that two years ago, a request to rezone farmland for the expansion was denied. Moore failed to note that the principle of res judicata has very limited application to zoning appeals.
Moore added that a majority of township residents oppose an expansion, as evidenced by the 2021 election results. There was no ballot question on a landfill expansion.
As someone who has smelled all three landfills from time to time, I have little doubt that many people affected by the odor are opposed.
But I smell something worse. I smell collusion between a member of Council (most likely Zrinski) and a Plainfield Tp Supervisor (Don Moore) to cut off a taxpaying business at the knees before it even presents its vision.
Blogger's Note: WFMZ-TV69 also has a story on the proposed expansion.
Update at 10 am: Don Moore denies the existence of collusion.
16 comments:
Bernie - the presentation was advertised on the Council Environmental Land Use Committee's agenda online - which as you are aware must be posted 24 hours before a meeting - that WM was making a presentation on Thursday. Furthermore, someone posted it on Facebook over a week prior. Your suggestion that I was notified by a council member is absolutely false. This is the second time on your blog you have made a false statement about me. You have my phone number and email address - you could have contacted me to ask. I would ask in the future you confirm something like this as a courtesy and part of due diligence and not make suppositions.
Tara required their presence at her meeting. She represents individuals and groups that are concerned with Waste Management's practices. She wanted to hear their reasons for their proposed expansion. She let them know that she and the county would be watching their activities closely to ensure they follow the laws and are responsible and honest in their dealings.
One man's garbage on others gold!
In 20 years, the land goes into reclamation and becomes a fabulous ski resort on the highest manmade structure in NorCo. Start building the Slate Belt Bypass immediately.
Northampton County has three landfills and Lehigh County has none. What's wrong with this picture? Waste is also coming in from New Jersey as well as other Counties (as mentioned in your story). I can understand the need for each County to get rid of their waste but why MUST NORTAMPTON COUNTY BE THE GARBAGE CAPITAL OF THE EAST COAST? It is time for the State Legislators to re-visit this issue and make local governments responsible for handling their individual solid waste issues.
Too big to fail? Heard that once before and it was a lie! WM is a corporate monster that devours communities in search of more money for themselves and the populace they operate in..be damned. Let it FAIL!
Zrinski has posted about this on her FB page. Your speculation may be correct.
Don Moore at 12:45, I have never found you to be dishonest in my dealings with you, so I accept your explanation. Also, I was wrong about you once before. I should have called you, but this just hit me as I was writing. But seriously, I know of no one who spends their days waiting to look at the agenda of the Energy Committee. And all the agenda indicated was a "presentation" by WM, not a presentation on expansion. You came armed with a map to make your points, so it's clear to me that you knew in advance.
Also, as a Supervisor, you could be asked to make judgment calls concerning this expansion. You have betrayed a bias and, frankly, doubt you can be fair
Also, Don, I do note that Zrinski slammed landfill expansions on 7/5 on her Facebook page. She did not say in that post that there was going to be a presentation, but linked to an op-ed from someone opposed.
Are those all face masks in that picture?
Look at the history Bernie. Plainfield has a solid waste zoning, that was created as part of a past expansion approval. Once that solid waste district is full, Plainfield has done its part in accepting the trash of our New Jersey and New York neighbors. If it was Northampton County trash that was at issue, the landfill would be open for many, many years beyond its current closure date.
If you want to accept this trash because it is good for the county, open a landfill up on the west side of Nazareth, upwind from your place. And while your at it, designate about 75-100 acres for the Nazareth Borough Municipal Authority to dump its sewage waste on that land, rather than haul it to a preserved farm, next to a park in Plainfield Township.
If I have a vote it will be based on making the recycling facility being improved. Paved and kept free of nails screws broken glass. Anymore it has become an afterthought.
Does the landfill accept materials from outside the county?
Tara has po authority regarding Waste Management. She does not have control of county policy. It was another meaningless grandstanding moment for the queen of grandstanding.
Yes. Interstate commerce laws require the landfill to be allowed to take garbage from anywhere. That is why NY/NJ trash has helped to make the landfill so lucrative. However, it’s also the reason that the landfill only employs 150-ish people these days. When trash is hauled in from those states, the landfill/WM doesn’t need to employ locals to go out and haul it in from our counties communities. Bring more jobs to our community by reducing out of state refuse, if you want to tout the economic benefits of employment!
I wonder where Donny got the map? Pretty nice, looks like something a township would have on hand. Talk about bias, Don split right after he was done with his, "I have a mandate from the people" speech.
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