A trio of Lower Saucon Tp residents voiced their opposition to the Bethlehem Landfill expansion last week. They are seeking the county's help in fighting a conditional use hearing scheduled for February 27 at 9 am.
Late last year, Lower Saucon Tp Council, by a 3-2 vote, changed the zoning in that area to allow the landfill to double in size and add 30 years to its existence. Though a procedural and substantive challenge is pending in the courts and the zoning hearing board, the landfill is pushing for a conditional use before the litigation can be resolved.
A conditional use, decided by Lower Saucon Tp Council, is a use that is permitted so long as criteria set forth in the zoning ordinance are met. Reasonable conditions can be imposed.
Ginger Petrie, who actually is a part in this litigation, owns a farm next to the landfill. "They're going to destroy the side of a mountain," she warned, She indicated that 60% of the garbage coming to the landfill is from NY and NJ.
Laura Ray, who is running for Township Council, indicated that 3,000 dump trucks are at the landfill each month She indicated that leachate form the landfill (a mixture of garbage and rainwater that she calls garbage soup) flows into the sewage treatment center. SDghe said 1.8 million gallons of this garbage soup flowed into the treatment center in December containing chemicls and radioactive material that the treatment center lacks capacity to filter. That water then makes its way to the Lehigh River.
Victoria Opthof-Cordaro, the last to speak, is another Lower Sacon Tp Council candidate. She copnceded that the county has no authority to intervene in municipal zoning, but then argued that it does because the county has invested so much moiney in the D&L Corridor.
13 comments:
Quit complaining unless you want to hit yourself with a hammer in your head 12 times. Signed JM
Didn't we fight this fight once before? Approximately 30 years ago the County adopted a "SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT PLAN" that included all existing land fills and transfer stations. By law the landfills and transfer station were compelled to be included. At that time, testimony included State and Federal Law which prohibited the County with interfering in State and Federal Commerce. The County was aware that the owner of the transfer station operated a landfill in New Jersey that was on the "Federal Government's SUPER FUND list" but couldn't keep the transfer station out of the plan. Northampton County was dubbed the garbage capital of the East Coast. If you want to control the flow of garbage you must do it with zoning laws. The County cannot do anything to stop the flow of garbage. You must prove in the courts that what the garbage haulers are bringing into the landfill is toxic, etc. Good Luck on that one.
We Should not be imported garbage from elsewhere. The garbage that will end up on the roadways will be terrible. Residents in area are all opposed to this , a compromise is needed like no out of area trash.
If these claims were true DEP would be all over the landfill. Besides that, their opposition is very shortsighted. When they lose their host fees, and the township raises taxes they will be upset. When their garbage rates go up, they will scream. And by the way you cannot stop the trash from coming from out of state. It's called interstate commerce. Check out the Carbone decision.
The Carbone case certainly does limit the regulation of garbage from other states, but does not eliminate it at all. A properly crafted ordinance could stop a landfill fromacceptng out of state garbage.
" Approximately 30 years ago the County adopted a "SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT PLAN" that included all existing land fills and transfer stations. By law the landfills and transfer station were compelled to be included"
Um, all counties are required by law to have solid waste management plans. Nothing in that plan agrees to landfill expansions.
"If these claims were true DEP would be all over the landfill."
Just like regulators were all over the railroads, preventing toxic derailments, eh?
by your comments you obviously have your head up and locked on this issue, bernie
The township has been running a budget surplus now for several years roughly equal to the amount of the hosting fees. No excuse for taxes to go up. Plus the township is sitting on $9 million in open space taxes they collected over the last 15 years. Use it to buy off the dump and send them packing. And no proof that my garbage goes to that dump so it may have nothing to do with my garbage costs. However it sure as hell as plenty to do with the PAC that backed 4 of the 5 council members.
There is a Transfer Station located out by Dutch Springs on Hanoverville Road. It is my understanding he uses the rail system there for hauling the recyclables. It is also my understanding that he ran the "land fill" that was on the "superfund site" in New Jersey. The county said the site was grandfathered and had to be included in the plan. I can be all wet about this, but I believe the general facts about the facility is fairly accurate. Again, the County told us "anti's" that they had to include all existing facilities in the plan.
More garbage is not good for Lower Saucon Township or the Lehigh Valley. Taxes will NOT go up, nor does garbage from LST end up there. This is more gaslighting. More than 60% is out of state trash. Who exactly is this council working for?Even after several hours of listening to the residents opposing this, this council still voted to rezone and pave the way for the expansion. Looks like council is working for the dump more than the people of the township. Wake up Lower Saucon and Lehigh Valley. Long after the dump is closed LST will have to deal with the toxic mess they dumped there. Its also curious that the dumps PAC supported some council that voted in favor of rezoning! Sounds like pay to play to me.
I appreciate the Northampton County Council giving an opportunity to LST residents to discuss the pending expansion of the Bethlehem Landfill, and understand that the County has no authority over township zoning, but the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission, the Lehigh River Watershed Conservation groups, and the Northampton County Conservation District all have expressed concerns that the landfill is an inappropriate use of this significant natural resource listed in the Northampton County Natural History Register, and that its destruction will have disastrous effects on the Lehigh Valley and our downstream neighbors.
We have individual responsibilities to object. As a united group, we must oppose all efforts to make a profit from destruction of our environment.
Bethlehem Landfill seeks to expand onto some 200 acres of woodlands, in a conservation easement by the Lehigh River. Cutting down trees for a landfill is environmentally irresponsible. Hundreds of thousands of creatures, trees and plants living on that land will be destroyed. This is a true representation of the adage, "money is the root of all evil". Another 30 years of pollution, NJ & NY trash, and landfill nuisances thanks some Lower Saucon Township Council member's partnership with Big Garbage.
Got that right!
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