Opposition to Westmoreland Sanitary Landfill plan expressed at public hearing
Paul Paterra/Observer-Reporter
Rostraver Township resident Jack Kruell offers testimony at Wednesday’s public hearing on Westmoreland Sanitary Landfill’s proposed leachate evaporation system.
Paul Paterra/Observer-Reporter
Lisa Fordanich addresses DEP officials at Wednesday’s public hearing concerning Westmoreland Sanitary Landfill’s proposed leachate evaporation system.
Paul Paterra/Observer-Reporter
Protect PT (Penn-Trafford), a citizen’s advocacy group, held a press conference before Wednesday’s hearing. Environmental scientist Jenna Rendy was one of the speakers at the press conference in the fire department parking lot.
A prevailing theme at a public hearing Wednesday concerning a plan to construct a leachate evaporation system at the Westmoreland Sanitary Landfill in Rostraver Township was that the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) not approve the plan.
At least that was the sentiment of 19 people who addressed DEP officials at the Rostraver Central Fire Department.
“The landfill has continued to have extreme disregard for the rights of the people,” said Lisa Fordanich, who has family members who live close to the landfill. “The people of the Mon Valley deserve, and should demand, clean air, clean water and an environmentally safe place to live and thrive.”
Westmoreland Sanitary Landfill LLC wants to install a leachate evaporation system at the landfill. Leachate is described as liquid that has come in contact with waste material. The liquid, which is generated at all landfills, can pick up contamination that must be continually removed from the landfill and treated.
The proposed system would consist of a hydrocarbon recovery unit, a natural gas fire burner and a water technology evaporation system.
A resounding concern by many who addressed officials was the air pollutants they believe will be created in the evaporator process and can be harmful.
“The leachate evaporator system will exacerbate the air pollution in Allegheny County, which is already a non-attainment area for multiple pollutants,” said Jenna Rindy, environmental scientist with the citizens advocacy group Protect PT (Penn-Trafford). “We do not believe that WSL will adhere to the requirements necessary for the evaporator.”
Resident John Lunt stressed that he has “no faith in the DEP.”
“(The landfill) can’t fix their truck wash bay, but you want to sell it to us that they’re going to put in this new system and they’re going to maintain it when they can’t maintain a truck wash bay to keep the trucks from dumping dirt and garbage on Tyrol Boulevard,” he said.
Joseph Dalfonso, Rostraver Township solicitor, spoke on behalf of the township commissioners, who in June 2020 approved a resolution voicing opposition to the plan.
“They’re primarily concerned with the lack of environmental control and protection, which has previously caused violation to various permits and the Solid Waste Act,” Dalfonso said. “The township is concerned the evaporation and violation of this permit, this air quality plan, will further degrade the air quality of the township.”
This was the first of two hearings to receive public comments and testimony on the matter. A virtual public hearing took place Thursday.
The DEP has determined the proposed project satisfies the organization’s Best Available Technology requirement.
“The calculated or expected discharge concentration (of pollutants) is well below the limit established by the NRC (Nuclear Regulatory Commission) and incorporated into our regulations,” said Dwight Shearer, radiation protection business director for DEP. “While radiation is all around us, it is important to understand that this permit will not increase the ambient background radiation. Hopefully, it will be demonstrated with the additional monitoring we are requiring.”
Background radiation is radiation present in the environment that is not due to deliberate introduction of radiation sources.
All comments and testimony submitted will be evaluated before a final decision is made. Public comments will be accepted until Sept. 19.