LOWER SAUCON TWP., Pa. — Lower Saucon Township Council has signed off on preliminary plans to add 86 disposal acres to Bethlehem Landfill.
Council on Wednesday voted 3-2, with Councilwomen Priscilla deLeon and Sandra Yerger voting in opposition, to approve the preliminary land development and lot consolidation plans, as well as a number of requested waivers.
The vote followed approval from the Lower Saucon Township Planning Commission in October for the landfill, at 2335 Applebutter Road.
The Phase Five Expansion plans also call for 171 acres of total disturbance, 193 acres to be conserved, the planting of 4,000 trees and the dump’s peak height to remain at 725 feet above sea level.
The landfill company bought three residential properties along Riverside Drive for the expansion, and plans to adjust lot lines to reduce area on its western end, officials said.
Nothing is yet set in stone, as the plans also must pass a years-long state Department of Environmental Protection evaluation.
Once that’s done, the township can review final land development plans and vote before any official green light to expand.
'Letting the landfill cut corners'
Before Wednesday's vote, a number of residents came forward to share why approving the plans with a number of waivers would be “irresponsible.”
“Now at this juncture, it’s being presented and railroaded through here,” said Bilal Khan, Lower Saucon resident and Lehigh University professor.
“But I hope that regardless of where you stand on the question of expansion, you will not sell us short by rushing through this.”
Lower Saucon’s incoming controller Lynn Hill said, “You as council members have it on your shoulders the responsibility to safeguard and protect the citizens and the environment and the wildlife of this township.
“And letting the landfill cut corners the way they apparently are planning to do would be wrong.”
Dru Germanoski, a member of the township’s environmental advisory council and Lafayette geology professor, held up a liner sample as he spoke.
“This is a landfill liner; it’s pretty damn flimsy,” Germanoski said “This is going to prevent groundwater contamination in perpetuity? Won’t happen.
“This will decay long after this council is unseated, and our children will deal with this.”
Both Claire Sadler, executive director of the Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor, and Joseph Bubba, attorney for St. Luke’s University Health Network, were denied opportunities to speak because they aren’t considered residents or taxpayers of the township.
Part of the D&L Trail and St. Luke’s Anderson Campus are near the landfill.
Business as usual
Bethlehem Landfill attorney Maryanne Garber said this newest 20-plus year plan would simply allow her client to keep the business running as was in the township.
“It would accept the same volume of waste under its current DEP permit, the same type of waste, same days of operation, same hours of operation, same access point, same haul route,” Garber said.
“So nothing will change in terms of the day-to-day operations and business of the landfill.”
She also said the waivers requested with the proposal are no different than those approved during previous expansions of the landfill.
The proposed disposal area now is smaller than what was set shared with the conditional use application earlier this year, reducing it from 117 acres to 86, Garber said.
Landfill officials plan to conserve 193 more acres through easements.
“It would accept the same volume of waste under its current DEP permit, the same type of waste, same days of operation, same hours of operation, same access point, same haul route. So nothing will change in terms of the day-to-day operations and business of the landfill.”Bethlehem Landfill attorney Maryanne Garber
The expansion would include about 27 acres atop the existing landfill footprint, according to respective plans.
Joe McDowell, of engineering firm Martin & Martin, prepared the preliminary land development and lot consolidation plans and application.
McDowell said four stormwater management facilities would be set forth to collect runoff from the dump’s surface, and officials plan to expand access to the new area via haul roads to each individual cell location.
The project would involve no proposed disturbance beyond 171 acres, including no effect on some areas along Applebutter Road, Riverside Drive and Bull Run, he said.
'Not in my backyard'
Council President Jason Banonis said the township has about 11,000 residents, but he only counted 16 people during public comment who came forward in opposition of the proposal.
“What those 16 people represent is a total of 0.1 percent of the entire township population,” Banonis said. “So the other 99.9 percent either support this, don’t care or couldn’t be here for some reason.”
Councilman Thomas Carocci said, "I've listened for the past year to people stand and say why they're against it. And it comes down to they don't have any alternatives for landfills.
"It's just, 'Not in my backyard.'"
Councilwoman Priscilla deLeon asked how many trees landfill officials were looking to take down.
“We don’t have an exact amount of the number of trees taken down,” McDowell answered.
“What those 16 people represent is a total of 0.1% of the entire township population. So the other 99.9% either support this, don’t care or couldn’t be here for some reason.”Lower Saucon Twp. Council President Jason Banonis
DeLeon said she’d like to know a specific number.
She also wondered about the depth of the waste in relation to the height of each dump cell.
“Depth of the waste is variable across the landfill as it is now, but the maximum height of the final cover will not exceed the 725-foot elevation,” McDowell said.
The development plans were submitted to the township in September.
The township’s EAC in October voted against recommending these plans for official township approval. Though at that time, the panel was waiting for a review letter from the township engineer.
