Prior to last month's meeting, the township issued a letter with recommended conditions the planners set in case of recommending approval of the application, and recommended justifications in case of recommending rejection of the application. The township also scheduled a Board of Supervisors meeting in late May, for a vote based on the planners' recommendation.
The letter, which contains a lengthy list of issues whether conditional approval or rejection is chosen, seems to have motivated Synagro. The first thing that happened was Synagro extended the deadline for a decision to June 30. That made it unnecessary for the planners or Board to take action in May. Another package of materials was submitted to the planning commission on the evening of the last meeting, and yet another a week later.
The deadline for a decision has since been extended again, to July 31.
DEP shows it is in the tank for Synagro and Waste Management at on-site meeting
On Thursday May 23rd, the DEP held a meeting at the proposed site to discuss issues surrounding the quarry/pond that is located within 10 feet of the proposed crap plant. It is rumored that Plainfield Township's team of three or four representatives was held in a room somewhere for the first portion of the meeting between Synagro, Waste Management, DEP and Northampton County Conservation District representatives. Sweet! Let's agree on what will be decided at the meeting, before the meeting.
Representing the DEP were the Assistant Director of the Northeast Regional office, Joe Buczynski, Waste Management Program Director Roger Bellas, and a few clean water department representatives. The head of the county conservation district, Sharon Pletchan was in attendance.
Bellas is the one who issued a letter stating that the quarry could partially be filled in without a permit, under a waiver previously granted. This was appealed by the township, which argued that the engineering that should have been required for said waiver was never done. Instead of Bellas presenting proof engineering was done, he withdrew said letter.
Pletchan's office is essentially the lowest level of the DEP - your local office. Her office issued the scathing deficiency letter, which the regional office placed a wrapper around and sent to Synagro.
Most of the talking was apparently done by Buczynski and Bellas - which you can expect in a situation like this. Top brass and henchman do the bidding, local representative Pletchan sits helpless to do or say anything. Why was it necessary to send the assistant regional director, when the question was (should have been) simply "how do we protect the water"? Protecting the water was low priority - meeting attendees did not visit the headwaters of the Little Bushkill or the Waltz Creeks, both high quality streams within a few hundred feet.
Bellas announced that he has reviewed materials that show that the contamination of ground water that occurred when the (DEP approved!) filling of the Slate Hills quarry occurred will not happen in the case of the Waste Management quarry. In the case of Slate Hills, Nestle Waters had to drill an interceptor well that has run for 5 years to date to keep its Deer Park water supply in Bangor from being contaminated. The "materials" Bellas "reviewed" is likely a narrative that Synagro submitted to address concerns brought up by citizens and planners. Bellas accepts it as true, just like he accepted that engineering had been done when the waiver was granted previously to partially fill the quarry. Engineering that DEP never produced to the court (Environmental Hearing Board). Bellas' comments also made clear that DEP will not be requiring a permit to partially fill the quarry.
What is clear as day is the DEP wants to grant Synagro and Waste Management approval for this plant, DEP regulations be damned. All of the deficiencies, some major, in the Conservation District's review, will be swept under the rug by Bellas and the management of the Northeast Office of Don't Expect Protection. The fix is in. Expect determinations such as this to be appealed to the Environmental Hearing Board. This is total bullshit.
