By Stephanie Prokop, Staff Writer
FLORENCE — A landfill directly across the Delaware River recently received approval to expand its property by nearly 35 acres.
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection has approved the phase two expansion of the Tullytown Resource Recovery Facility Landfill, which is owned by Waste Management of Pennsylvania Inc.
Although the landfill is located across the river from Florence, Judy Archibald, spokeswoman for Waste Management, said the site, which will hold an additional 5.1 million tons of garbage, ultimately “will not be visible from Florence Township.”
On Tuesday, Florence Mayor Bill Berry said Waste Management has been “in communication with the township,” and that he had met with representatives a few weeks ago.
“They are very forthcoming, and they have offered to meet in the future with our environmental commission,” he said.
Even though the expansion would be on the other side of the landfill away from Florence, there are still concerns about quality of life issues affecting the township, specifically noise and pollution.
“The inclination is always to keep an eye on what’s going on over there,” he added. “As I ride down Broad Street, I get a constant reminder. You look across the river and you see trash trucks lined up on top of the hill,” he said.
He said he is satisfied that Waste Management has been “pretty accessible,” and that “they try to maintain a good working relationship with our township.”
The reason for the expansion, said Ms. Archibald, is because the current disposal area is reaching capacity.
The expansion is necessary, she continued, to continue to serve the needs of the region.
Since the mid-1990s, Florence residents and officials have expressed concerns about the landfill’s operations, citing noise, pollution, and excessive numbers of seagulls.
In the late 1990s, Waste Management settled with the township and paid nearly $2 million in exchange for the township agreeing not to file any additional suits against landfill expansion.
Ms. Archibald said that Waste Management has “aggressive odor and noise management plans,” which include an employee liaison designated to monitor operations from the Florence perspective.
Waste Management also has a 24-hour Fact Phone, which Florence residents can call to ask a question or cite a concern. The number for Florence residents is 609-499-0500.
“We work hard to ensure that off-site odors and noise are not a source of concern to anyone, and if we receive a call to our Fact Phone, it is investigated by our operations community liaison,” she said.
Operating hours of the landfill will not change, and Ms. Archibald estimates the landfill will receive approximately 8,666 tons on a monthly average. She added that this amount will not change, and that the landfill does not, and will not, accept hazardous waste.

