The Lancaster County Solid Waste Management Authority (LCSWMA) in Pennsylvania has announced it will defend its permit issued by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to vertically expand the Frey Farm Landfill in Conestoga.
The $56 million vertical expansion project is designed to maximize LCSWMA’s current landfill site by using mechanically stabilized earthen berms. Through this design, the authority says the height increase will be limited 50 feet and lateral expansion to 9 acres. The result is 6.4 million cubic yards of capacity, enough to serve Lancaster County for the next 18 to 20 years. This project also protects local resources by eliminating the need to acquire new land for landfilling purposes, the authority says.
A small opposition group filed an appeal of the permit to the Environmental Hearing Board (EHB) on Aug. 24. In their appeal, appellants reiterate previous objections raised during the 2 1/2-year review process with DEP.
“LCSWMA is prepared and well positioned to defend this permit and will do so jointly with DEP,” says Jim Warner, LCSWMA’s CEO. “We have every confidence the EHB will affirm DEP’s decision.”
A figure in the opposition group is Jeffrey Koons, a NYC resident and artist who owns vacation property in York County, directly across from the landfill. Koons is listed in the appeal under Stone Fence Acres LP and Farmland Preservation LP. Through his representing counsel, Koons has expressed displeasure with the aesthetic view of the landfill.
LCSWMA says the vertical expansion permit is important for continuation for Lancaster County’s integrated system. Revocation of the permit would put the entire system at risk, the authority says. Such a development could mean a financial impact of $10 million annually, translating into a 30 percent increase in refuse disposal fees.
LCSWMA says its integrated system diverts 96 to 98 percent of Lancaster County’s municipal solid waste from the landfill each year, but what cannot be diverted must be disposed in an environmentally safe manner.
The authority says it invested more than a decade in planning for a vertical expansion of the Frey Farm Landfill, including extensive environmental and engineering analyses. The goal was to design a project that provides future landfill capacity while minimizing its environmental, social and aesthetic impacts.
LCSWMA has obtained the necessary approvals from the host municipality of Manor Township, including receiving support for the project from the board of supervisors.
The EHB process begins in October 2017 and could last up to two years. LCSWMA’s board of directors will determine whether to begin construction amid the appeal. Originally, construction was slated to begin this fall so the landfill could be ready for waste placement in 2019 when the current landfill capacity ends.
The $56 million vertical expansion project is designed to maximize LCSWMA’s current landfill site by using mechanically stabilized earthen berms. Through this design, the authority says the height increase will be limited 50 feet and lateral expansion to 9 acres. The result is 6.4 million cubic yards of capacity, enough to serve Lancaster County for the next 18 to 20 years. This project also protects local resources by eliminating the need to acquire new land for landfilling purposes, the authority says.
A small opposition group filed an appeal of the permit to the Environmental Hearing Board (EHB) on Aug. 24. In their appeal, appellants reiterate previous objections raised during the 2 1/2-year review process with DEP.
“LCSWMA is prepared and well positioned to defend this permit and will do so jointly with DEP,” says Jim Warner, LCSWMA’s CEO. “We have every confidence the EHB will affirm DEP’s decision.”
A figure in the opposition group is Jeffrey Koons, a NYC resident and artist who owns vacation property in York County, directly across from the landfill. Koons is listed in the appeal under Stone Fence Acres LP and Farmland Preservation LP. Through his representing counsel, Koons has expressed displeasure with the aesthetic view of the landfill.
LCSWMA says the vertical expansion permit is important for continuation for Lancaster County’s integrated system. Revocation of the permit would put the entire system at risk, the authority says. Such a development could mean a financial impact of $10 million annually, translating into a 30 percent increase in refuse disposal fees.
LCSWMA says its integrated system diverts 96 to 98 percent of Lancaster County’s municipal solid waste from the landfill each year, but what cannot be diverted must be disposed in an environmentally safe manner.
The authority says it invested more than a decade in planning for a vertical expansion of the Frey Farm Landfill, including extensive environmental and engineering analyses. The goal was to design a project that provides future landfill capacity while minimizing its environmental, social and aesthetic impacts.
LCSWMA has obtained the necessary approvals from the host municipality of Manor Township, including receiving support for the project from the board of supervisors.
The EHB process begins in October 2017 and could last up to two years. LCSWMA’s board of directors will determine whether to begin construction amid the appeal. Originally, construction was slated to begin this fall so the landfill could be ready for waste placement in 2019 when the current landfill capacity ends.
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