DEP extends BRADS permit through 2036

BLYTHE TOWNSHIP – A landfill near Saint Clair has received state approval for another decade despite continued opposition from residents downhill.

The Blythe Recycling and Demolition Site landfill on the Burma Road in Blythe Township received a ten year extension of its operating permit, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) announced Thursday.

With the extension, the permit runs until Jan. 20, 2035.

The extension includes a requirement to construct a gas control system for several parts of the landfill and to implement a traffic control plan for waste haulers bringing trash to the facility, among other requirements.

In a 29-page letter regarding the renewal, DEP addressed numerous public comments and concerns raised by area residents.

Twenty-one people were listed as commentators at a recent public hearing, including Saint Clair Mayor Richard Tomko.

One comment noted that there are regular odors creating a nuisance in the area. DEP says the facility was penalized $96,525 for that in January and required to install a flare and gas extraction wells.

Additionally, comments worried about the facility’s track record.

“While BRADS does have past violations, BRADS has not demonstrated a lack of ability or intention to comply with the environmental protection acts or its permits,” DEP wrote. “BRADS has addressed the cause of the majority of the complaints” through various means, they added.

The article DEP extends BRADS permit through 2036 first appeared on The Shenandoah Sentinel.