WILKES-BARRE – The Department of Environmental Protection announced it has issued a pre-denial letter to Blythe Township, Schuylkill County, on its proposed construction and demolition waste landfill known as Blythe Recycling and Demolition Site, or BRADS. This action is the result of inadequate responses by the township to DEP’s December 2004 review letter.
“Blythe Township failed to address issues we raised in our original comment letter regarding the application or the comments we received at our recent public hearing,” said Northeast Regional Director Michael D. Bedrin.
DEP’s pre-denial letter identifies a number of remaining issues that must be resolved by the applicant, including site ownership, leachate management, and the need for additional botanical studies. In addition, the applicant has not adequately addressed harm and benefit issues related to the affects on local emergency management resources, mine subsidence potential, affects to recreation and local land use, potential traffic harms, potential air quality affects, and aesthetics.
Water quality discharge limits for leachate for the proposed facility were developed by DEP as part of the ongoing permitting process. Blythe Township would also be required to obtain an additional water quality permit for design and construction of a facility and systems that would treat the leachate to meet the discharge limits established in the National Pollution Discharge Elimination System permit. Both water quality permits would be required to meet the leachate management issues raised by the department.
Blythe Township originally submitted a permit application for a 1,500-ton per day demolition debris landfill in early 2004. DEP held a public hearing on the application Dec. 5 and received testimony from more than 50 individuals.