DEP To Host Public Hearing for Schuylkill County Landfill Permit Renewal Application

Wilkes-Barre, PA - The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) will host a public hearing to take testimony from the public regarding an application by the Blythe Recycling and Demolition Site (BRADS) to renew its operating permit for its facility in Blythe Township, Schuylkill County. The hearing will be held on Wednesday, May 29, 2024, from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM at the Saint Clair Area Elementary/Middle School located at 227 S. Mill St., Saint Clair, PA 17970. Representatives from the Department's Waste Management Program and BRADS will be in attendance.

BRADS has applied to the DEP for a 10-year renewal of its existing operating permit. The renewal application requests that DEP allow BRADS to continue accepting construction/demolition waste that may include non-friable asbestos waste. DEP regulates the removal, collection, transportation, and disposal of materials that contain asbestos in order to protect public health. The current operating permit expires on January 20, 2025.

The DEP received the NPDES permit application on January 25, 2024, and it was determined to be administratively complete on January 29, 2024. Written public comments were received during the public comment period. The public comment period for this application began on February 10, 2024, and ended on April 10, 2024.

The landfill's location of Blythe Township is designated as an environmental justice (EJ) area by DEP and the location is within a half-mile of St. Clair Borough, which is also an EJ area. When this type of permit is submitted for an EJ area, DEP engages in enhanced public outreach, including hosting this hearing and having additional environmental justice staff engage with stakeholders and residents.

Last year, the Shapiro Administration adopted an updated Environmental Justice Policy, which is used to guide protections for communities most vulnerable to environmental challenges, and to expand environmental safeguards throughout the Commonwealth. The updated policy directs how DEP's inspection, compliance, and enforcement efforts can better include communities most at risk and more accurately identifies EJ communities by using 32 environmental, health, and socioeconomic indicators.

The Department requests that individuals wishing to testify at the hearing submit a written notice of intent to Colleen Connolly, DEP Regional Communications Manager, re: BRADS Landfill Public Hearing, PA DEP, 2 Public Square, Wilkes-Barre, PA 18701-1915, or by email at [email protected]. The Department will accept notices up to the day of the hearing.

The permit application is available for public review on the DEP Northeast Regional Office Community Information webpage or the DEP Northeast Regional Office, located at 2 Public Square, Wilkes-Barre, PA 18701.

Persons with a disability who wish to testify and require an auxiliary aid, service, or other accommodation should contact Colleen Connolly at [email protected] to discuss how the Department can meet their needs. Dial 711 to access Pennsylvania Relay services.

For more information on the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, please visit website, or follow DEP on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn.

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