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Rep. Eachus To DEP Secretary: Department Failed Hazleton Residents
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Rep. Todd A. Eachus (D-Luzerne) this week called on the Department of Environmental Protection Secretary John Hanger to answer important questions about a fourth permit application to fill abandoned mines in Hazleton, noting that the DEP has failed to adequately inform the public at an "information meeting" held earlier this week. Rep. Eachus sent a letter to Secretary Hanger expressing his frustrations with the DEP and its handling of permit applications by Hazleton Creek Properties, LLC (HCP) to fill hundreds of acres of abandoned mines in Hazleton.
He said the meeting held Tuesday at the Hazleton Area High School was a disappointment to him and many of his constituents, because representatives from DEP could not answer many of the questions posed to them about this fourth permit application by HCP.
"Given your department's continued failure to properly educate and inform the residents of the Greater Hazleton area about this troubling proposal, I am writing directly to you for answers to some important questions about this permit application and proposal," Rep. Eachus wrote. "Surely someone in your department should have the requisite knowledge and background on these issues to answer these pressing concerns. However, no one with such expertise was present at this 'information meeting,' much to the chagrin of many of my constituents."
Rep. Eachus also took issue with the prominent role played by the developer's lead spokesman, Mark McClellan, during the DEP's meeting. Instead of the state DEP running the meeting, Eachus said it seemed as if the developer and McClellan were allowed to run the show.
In fact, he noted, DEP's representatives often evaded questions posed by the public, or deferred them to McClellan to answer.
"What was billed by your department as an 'information meeting' was little more than a choreographed public relations event – complete with a 10-minute promotional video by the developer – intended to give the applicant a platform to sell its project to the public," Rep. Eachus wrote to Secretary Hanger.
"Such deference to a developer, whose project would place potentially hazardous and toxic materials in the ground, is both troubling and seemingly counter to your department's mission," Rep. Eachus added.
Among the concerns listed by Rep. Eachus was the fact that the DEP representatives at the meeting had no specific details of the permit application by HCP, nor could they elaborate on the guidelines or requirements for the permit. In addition, the specific permit application, WMGR125 is not listed on the DEP website.
"How could your department effectively inform the public about a permit application without the very application being made available on your website or at the meeting?" he asked. "I am growing increasingly skeptical of the department's ability to objectively review this application."
Rep. Eachus said he remains concerned about the safety of dumping this proposed Flue Gas Desulfurization Gypsum on a site where an experimental mixture of river dredge, fly ash from coal plants, and construction and demolition waste has already been approved to fill the mines.
He also raised concerns about the potential financial liability for taxpayers if something goes wrong on the site and the developer doesn't have the financial resources to pay for the clean-up.
Rep. Eachus said he remains committed to job creation and economic development projects in the Hazleton area and throughout Pennsylvania, but not at the expense of people's health and safety.
"Public health and safety must come before developer profits," he said.
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9/6/2010 |
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