On May 4, the Department of Environmental Protection announced it will host a public meeting on May 31 to answer questions from residents regarding the proposed Northeast Waste Transfer Station (NEWT) in Hazleton, Luzerne County. 

The meeting will take place on Wednesday, May 31st from 6:00 to 9:00 PM at the Hazle Township Volunteer Fire and Rescue building located at 1113 N. Church St, Hazle Township, PA 18202.

Representatives from the department and NEWT will be on hand to provide an overview of the permitting process and the project itself, and answer questions.

The proposed municipal waste transfer facility is to be located near 455 East Broad Street (State Route 93), Hazleton, PA.

The facility would accept municipal solid waste (MSW) and construction and demolition (C&D) waste that is anticipated to primarily originate from Luzerne County and its neighboring communities.

The proposed maximum daily waste acceptance is 700 tons/day and the proposed operating hours are from 6:00 AM – 4 PM Monday through Saturday.

North East Waste Systems, LLC applied to DEP for a municipal solid waste transfer station permit in February of 2023. The permit application was deemed administratively complete in April of 2023. 

The public comment period for the application is open and will end on June 7, 2023.

The permit application is available for public review at the DEP Northeast Regional Office (NERO) located at 2 Public Square, Wilkes-Barre and a copy of the application can also be viewed on DEP NERO website.

Those wishing to view the application in person can do so at NERO during regular business hours of 8:00 AM – 4 PM Monday through Friday and can schedule an appointment by calling 570-826-2511.

Those who wish to submit written comments can send them to either Colleen Connolly, Regional Communications Manager at coconnolly@pa.gov  or Roger Bellas, Program Manager, at rbellas@pa.gov.  

A portion of Hazleton City near the proposed transfer station is considered an Environmental Justice (EJ) area by the department. According to DEP’s currently adopted EJ Policy, the project will have an enhanced public participation processes appropriate to the project scale.

An interpreter will be on hand at the meeting to accommodate Spanish-speaking residents.

The Department requests that individuals wishing to ask questions at the upcoming public meeting to register with Colleen Connolly at: coconnolly@pa.gov.  Requests to participate will be accepted up to the day of the meeting.

Individuals that wish to ask questions will be limited to 3 questions plus a follow-up so that all individuals have the opportunity to ask questions. Individuals attending the meeting will have the opportunity to ask question if they so desire; however, individuals who preregister will be given priority on the agenda.

Persons with a disability who wish to participate and require an auxiliary aid, service or other accommodation should contact Colleen Connolly at: coconnolly@pa.gov or the Pennsylvania Hamilton Relay Service at (800) 654-5984 (TDD) to discuss how the Department can meet their needs.

Visit DEP’s Northeast Waste Transfer Station webpage for more information.

For more information on environmental programs in Pennsylvania, visit DEP’s website, Click Here to sign up for DEP’s newsletter, sign up for DEP Connects events, sign up for DEP’s eNotice, visit DEP’s Blog,  Like DEP on Facebook, Follow DEP on Twitter and visit DEP’s YouTube Channel.

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