BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Residents got their say Monday at a hearing for Keystone Cement's plans to renew its hazardous waste permit with a new twist — transport by rail.
More than three dozen concerned community members gathered at the state Department of Environmental Protection hearing at Nitschmann Middle School.
Some were people who live near the East Allen Township plant, but most are along Monacacy Creek where the rail transit is planned to take place.
The cement company, off Route 987 just south of Bath, burns hazardous waste as a fuel source for its kiln.
At the hearing, residents voiced worries about what could happen in the case of a derailment of the hazardous material.
They often invoked the February 2023 East Palestine, Ohio, train derailment disaster that Norfolk Southern agreed to a settlement for in April.
The plant now uses liquid wastes transported by truck as fuel for the site cement kiln, according to the public hearing notice published in the PA Bulletin.
The DEP permit renewal would be for 10 years. Norfolk Southern rail would transport the materials to the site.
Officials from the DEP and Keystone were there to first present on the project, then field questions and hear feedback from residents.
Impact on creek, heritage sites
The change from road to rail prompted worries that a derailment and leakage could have massive consequences to nearby Monocacy Creek and the towns downstream.
Wildlife, water safety and tourism impact to Bethlehem were cited by speakers and attendees as reasons the rail cars on a path so close to the creek should not be used.
"It's a foregone conclusion that an incident will happen, and it's the response to that incident that matters,"Jose DeJesus, a local engineer representing the Monocacy Creek Watershed Association and Trout Unlimited
Jose DeJesus, who said he is a local engineer representing the Monocacy Creek Watershed Association and Trout Unlimited, argued that limited access to parts of the creek could have a disastrous impact on residential areas and the local ecosystem if an incident were to happen.
"It's a foregone conclusion that an incident will happen, and it's the response to that incident that matters," DeJesus said.
"The fact of the matter is this hazardous waste to reach the Keystone plant from the Norfolk Southern mainlines down along the Lehigh River, will travel along the full length of the DEP-designated high quality full water fishery at Monocacy Creek.
"So if there is a spill of 30,000 gallons into that creek, that's the death of the creek. Immediately. There's no way to mitigate that spill, because you can't get to it with any kind of equipment."
The weakest link
Peg Church of Bethlehem, who said she could "throw a rock from my house" to the train tracks, said while she can see there is good technology and planning around the project, she still sees a lot of space to be concerned.
"Unfortunately, a chain is only as strong as the weakest link," Church said.
"And unfortunately, as I mentioned earlier, Norfolk Southern I consider to be a rather weak link.
"The hubris, arrogance and lack of respect that they showed Pennsylvania in the East Palestine situation is really appalling.
"Also, when it comes to the City of Bethlehem, I've lived where I've lived for over 50 years, and there have been several instances of there being trains derailing."
The company last year was named one of the commonwealth’s top climate polluters with a history of concerns related to air pollutionand hazardous waste risk.
There were train derailments in March and July in Lower Saucon Township and under the Hill-to-Hill Bridge in South Bethlehem, respectively.
To the vocal frustration of some residents, Norfolk Southern representatives were not present.
Safety and benefits for using rail
Keystone’s current hazardous waste management permit expired in July 2019, according to the draft permit, obtained by LehighValleyNews.com through a request to the state DEP.
The DEP got a renewal application the previous August; the application was revised in June 2020 and December 2022.
"There are benefits to using rail cars to transport waste. These include benefits to the environment, community and wildlife."Rachel Odzer of Giant Cement Holding Inc.
Company officials now operate the facility under an administrative extension.
At the hearing, they argued it would take place on a well-tested, safe and strong rail line that meets all regulations and updated rail cars travel at "very low speeds," with an average of 12 mph and a limit of 22 mph.
"There are benefits to using rail cars to transport waste," said Rachel Odzer, who represented Keystone's parent company Giant Cement Holding Inc. at the hearing.
"These include benefits to the environment, community and wildlife."
Odzer emphasized the company already loads and ships cement with rail cars from its sites to customers, and hazard reviews will be conducted for their work.
No new track would be constructed for the project.
It is expected to remove four trucks from the roads for every one rail car received.
One resident supported the proposal, for its potential to reduce the amount of trucks on the road.
According to DEP officials, a document will be made collecting and responding to comments from local residents.
Written comments to the DEP will be accepted until Nov. 15. Email them to rbellas@pa.gov.
A date for the decision on the permit renewal has not been set.
