REGION: Officials fret over hazardous waste site

By Amy Batista, Special Writer
   NORRISTOWN — The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection hosted a public meeting and hearing regarding the proposed Elcon Recycling Services liquid hazardous treatment facility in the Keystone Industrial Port Complex in Falls Township in Pennsylvania.
   The forum was held Dec. 10, and local officials and administrators attended to stay informed.
   ”Florence Township literally heard about this application only a few days before the public informational meeting and hearing held by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection,” said Township Administrator Richard Brook in an email Monday. “Mayor (Craig) Wilkie and the Township Council asked me to attend the meeting to gather information about what exactly is being proposed for the site in Falls Township.”
   According to a press release, the DEP is conducting a Phase I siting review for an application submitted by Elcon to construct and operate a commercial hazardous waste treatment facility to treat liquid waste from the chemical and pharmaceutical industry.
   ”The purpose of a Phase I siting review is to determine whether the proposed location complies with Pennsylvania’s exclusionary siting criteria for such operations,” said DEP Southeast Regional Director Cosmo Servidio in the press release.
   He said this review happens prior to the company submitting a full operation and design permit application for any other environmental permits that would be needed.
   During the meeting, DEP officials explained the application review process, the Phase I siting criteria, which is in place to prohibit the location of hazardous waste treatment facilities under certain criteria and for opportunities for future public participation. Elcon representatives also were present at the meeting to outline their proposal and available to answer questions, according to the press release.
   ”At the meeting, the DEP spent approximately an hour with the applicant, Elcon Recycling Services from Princeton, New Jersey, giving an overview of the proposed application and explaining what is involved in DEP’s Phase 1 siting review,” Mr. Brook said.
   Unfortunately, they had a PowerPoint presentation set up against the wall, and the majority of the public could not see it, he said.
   ”This was extremely disappointing, but just as disappointing was the fact that after the short presentation, the DEP only allowed members of the public approximately 30 minutes to ask questions,” Mr. Brook said. “This was a sorely inadequate amount of time for concerned citizens from Pennsylvania and New Jersey to ask questions regarding a proposed hazardous waste treatment facility.”
   Bordentown City Mayor Joseph Malone also was “very disappointed.”
   ”I was very disappointed in the lack of real candor on the presentation,” Mayor Malone said.
   He said, “If you listened to these people, you would think they were putting Disney World there.”
   Mr. Brook said that after approximately 30 minutes of questions, the DEP allowed public comments only for the written record with no further public response from the DEP to the attendees.
   ”The DEP is allowing written public comments until Dec. 26, but they only held one very short meeting for people to gain knowledge about the hazardous waste treatment facility,” he said. “This is an unfair and unreasonable way for the DEP to handle an application that could impact the long-term health and quality of life of residents in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.”
   He said once Florence Township gains more information about the proposed hazardous waste facility, it will post pertinent information on the municipal website.
   ”Mayor Wilkie asked me to place a resolution on the Dec. 17 agenda that asks the DEP to extend its public comment period beyond Dec. 26, 2014, and that expresses our municipal opposition as a result of our genuine concerns about the proposed hazardous waste treatment facility and the fact that the DEP has not given residents and citizens of both states a reasonable amount of time to gather information and make an informed decision,” he said.
   Those who prefer to present their comments in writing or were unable to attend the hearing are able to submit written testimony by Dec. 26 to Hazardous Waste Facility Siting Team Leader, DEP Southeast Regional Office, 2 E. Main St., Norristown, Pennsylvania, 19401.
   Once residents learn about the proposal, Mayor Wilkie is encouraging them to get involved on behalf of the community, Mr. Brook added.
   ”The mayor said this is a proposal that could have far-reaching consequences and impact upon residents in both New Jersey and Pennsylvania,” he said.
   Bordentown Township Deputy Mayor Jim Cann and Committeewoman Jill Popko also were in attendance.
   ”We will do everything we can to protect the public in Bordentown Township,” said Mayor Stephen Benowitz, adding officials have gone through this before with the incinerator.
   He said the Township Committee also will have a similar resolution at its Dec. 22 meeting.
   ”We are not going to let our public be exposed to this,” he said. “We are going to do everything we can in conjunction with other neighboring communities to protect our residents. We are taking a very active stance on this.”
   He added, “They are talking about recycling with 210,000 tons of raw sewage waste, and it’s going to be 39 tons . . . containing pollutants, possibly.”
   Mayor Malone said his biggest concern is what he believes will be the lack of enforcement by the Pennsylvania DEP whether it’s with landfills or another facilities there.
   ”The Pennsylvania DEP just doesn’t give a damn about the people on this side of the river,” he said.
   He said the township will, probably, at some point, have to get a group of townspeople together and see what it can do “legally to force the DEP,” explaining, “I’m not even looking at the project they are doing, I’m just looking at the general statement and what I see is the lack of willingness of them to ensure that things are done properly.”
   A resolution is being considered for the commissioners meeting in January, he said.
   Copies of the application are available for review by appointment at DEP’s Southeast Regional Office by calling 484-250-5910 and at the Rachel Carson State Office Building in Harrisburg by calling 717-787-6239.
   To learn more about DEP’s waste program, visit www.dep.state.pa.us