Wilkes-Barre, PA - The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) will host a public meeting to answer questions from the public regarding operations at five Schuylkill County facilities that have been the subject of public interest over the past several months. The meeting will take place on Thursday, November 14, 2024, from 6:00 to 9:00 PM at the Tremont Municipal Building located at 139 Clay St., Tremont, PA 17981. The meeting will focus on operations at: Natural Soil Products, Liberty Soils, Summit Anthracite (Stavola), Rausch Creek and CES Landfill. Representatives from the department will be on hand to answer questions.
Natural Soil Products is a permitted facility in Frailey Township that produces Exceptional Quality biosolids material. Liberty Soils is also a permitted Exceptional Quality biosolids producing facility and is located in Reilly Township. Summit Anthracite is a department permitted Mining facility near Good Spring that is also permitted for the beneficial use of drinking water treatment sludge and other materials from industrial wastewater treatment facilities to enhance its mine reclamation activities on site. Rausch Creek is also a permitted strip-mining site that is located in Pine Grove and has a mining permit application currently under review by the department. CES Landfill is a permitted facility in Hegins that is allowed to accept and dispose of municipal/residual waste. CES currently has a Waste Management permit application under review for an expansion of the landfill. All of these facilities, their operations, the department’s permitting process and the general use of biosolids will be the subject of meeting, along with answering questions from those in attendance.
Those wishing to ask questions regarding the facilities are asked to submit a written notice of their questions. Those notices can be submitted to: Maria Ocasio, Environmental Justice Coordinator at: mocasio@pa.gov or can be mailed to the Department’s Bethlehem District Office at: 4530 Bath Pike, Bethlehem, PA 18017. Written notices will be accepted up until the date of the meeting.
The meeting format will take place as follows: each person will be allowed to ask two questions plus one follow-up question. Once attendees have been given the opportunity to ask their questions, and if time allows, each person can ask one final question. Individuals who pre-register to ask questions will be given priority on the agenda. Those who have not pre-registered to ask questions can sign up at the meeting.
Persons with a disability who wish to ask questions and require an auxiliary aid, service or other accommodation should contact Colleen Connolly, 570-826-2511 or through the Pennsylvania AT&T Relay Service at 800-654-5984 (TDD) to discuss how the Department can meet their needs.
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