Note: This meeting has been rescheduled to April 13, 2016. The original date of the hearing was Wednesday, March 16.
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) will host a public hearing to take comments from the public regarding IESI Bethlehem Landfill’s permit application to expand its existing facility on Applebutter Road in Lower Saucon Township.
The hearing will take place on Wednesday, April 13 from 6 to 9 p.m. at Saucon Valley High School, 2100 Polk Valley Road, Hellertown.
The company is requesting an expansion of 6 acres, with 22.5 acres overtopping existing landfilled areas.
This expansion plan has been referred to as the “Southeastern Realignment” and differs from an earlier more ambitious IESI proposal that would have expanded the facility onto property it has purchased to the west of the current landfill, if rezoning allowed it.
“The hearing is part of the department’s efforts to get input from the public about this expansion and how they feel about it,” said Mike Bedrin, director of DEP’s Northeast Regional Office. “We look forward to hearing the comments regarding this application.”
IESI filed the original expansion application on Jan. 21, 2015. A public meeting to answer questions about the expansion application was held on Tuesday, June 25 at Saucon Valley High School. The public comment period for the application ends on Thursday, March 31.
A copy of IESI’s permit application can be viewed at DEP’s Northeast Regional Office (NERO) located at 2 Public Square, Wilkes-Barre, 18701 or the DEP’s Bethlehem District Office located at 4530 Bath Pike, Bethlehem, 18017. Those wishing to make an appointment to view the documents can do so between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. by calling the Northeast Regional Office at 570-826-2511 or the Bethlehem District Office at 610-861-2070.
Written public comments regarding the expansion application will be accepted until 4 p.m. on Thursday, March 31. Those comments can be sent to Roger Bellas, Waste Management Program Director, at rb*****@pa.gov or Colleen Connolly, Community Relations Coordinator, at co********@pa.gov.
Individuals in need of an accommodation as provided for in the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 should contact Colleen Connolly, or make accommodations through the Pennsylvania AT&T Relay Service at 1-800-654-5984 (TDD).
For more information, visit www.dep.pa.gov.
Note: This story includes information from a PA DEP news release. Other documents related to the Southeastern Realignment expansion proposal can be found posted on the Lower Saucon Township website.
