The Department of Environmental Protection Tuesday issued its second environmental assessment letter to Keystone Sanitary Landfill regarding the facility’s permit application for expansion in the boroughs of Dunmore and Throop in Lackawanna County.

The department has identified several outstanding issues including tracking of dirt and mud, overweight trucks, groundwater impacts and the location of the regional groundwater table in relation to the proposed liner system. 

The letter is the second and most recent evaluation by DEP of the potential environmental impacts and benefits of the proposed expansion. The first environmental assessment letter was issued in October of 2015.

The review letters are standard steps to ensure that all the information in the application is complete and relevant. The environmental assessment process is part of the permit application review under the municipal waste landfill regulations.

“DEP staff continues to take a meticulous and thorough approach to review this permit expansion application to ensure that all information is included,” said DEP Northeast Regional Director Mike Bedrin. “In this letter, the department is asking for more information on both the harms and benefits of this project and how those harms will be mitigated.”

Keystone Landfill filed an application with the department in March of 2014 for a vertical expansion within 435-acres in its existing permitted area. That expansion was modified by Keystone in May of 2016 to limit the height.

The permit application is still under review by the department. In addition to the first technical review letter, a 60-day comment period was held in early 2015 to hear citizen concerns, as well as a meeting with municipality officials. A public hearing on the expansion application was held on July 18, 2016.

Keystone will have 90 days from the time it receives the most recent letter to respond to the environmental assessment.

A copy of the letter is available for review at DEP’s Northeast Regional Office between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. at 2 Public Square, Wilkes-Barre, PA 18701-1915. Appointments for reviewing the application materials may be made by calling 570-826-2511.

For a copy of the letter and more information on the application, visit DEP’s Northeast Regional Office webpage.

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[Posted: May 30, 2017]

6/5/2017