Synagro's Planned Appearance in Lynn Twp

30 Day Notice
One heck of a Township meeting is gearing up for tonight at the newly constituted Board of Supervisors in Lynn Township. Lynn has yet to update its website. Yours Truly is not a member, but I'll still try to get the audio.

Responding to the hoopla in December's final meeting, representatives from Synagro, one of the largest sludge transport companies, is slated to appear.

Battle lines are being drawn however. A newly forming citizens group (gosh, I thought those were banned here in Lynn) is said to have lawyered up through Erin Brockovich. Suits of both kinds may soon appear.

Although the Township has little or no redress over the state-issued sludge permit, I'd question Synagro about it's DEP permit application. DEP's 30 day notice fails to list the nearby School Creek, a designated Exceptional Value (EV) stream.

The School Creek runs by the subject parcel yet remains mysteriously missing from DEP's 30 day notice, posted above. The Ontelaunee creek is listed but it's much further away. Hmmm . . .

The following is a repost from this blogs February 2008 entry. Some of the links may be outdated.

NORTHERN LEHIGH VALLEY LOGIC: February 28, 2008.

About this time last year, the Lynn Township Board heard some very vocal concerns about the dumping of municipal sludge. The complaints arose after sludge was distributed over a frozen snow-ice covered farmer’s field outside of New Tripoli. The problem coincided with last years Valentine's Day Snowstorm. Several wells were reportedly contaminated.

As an aside, the foregoing highlights the incompatibility between residential development and agriculture; and perhaps bodes in favor of Lynn’s 10% rule.

I have no problem with a farmer seeking to fertilize their field or augment their income by contracting for the distribution of municipal waste. This should require careful application in conformance with required setbacks and no application upon frozen or snow-covered ground.

Sludge problems are not limited to Lynn Township. Maxatawny officials were recently invited to meet and discuss the subject with their state representative, James Gerlach, officials from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, (PADEP) and representatives from Synagro, a Houston-based sludge supplier to local farms.

So to learn more, Yours Truly asked to attend. However, my solicitation was rebuffed and the meeting, then scheduled for February 6, 2008, was mysteriously cancelled. I can't claim the cancellation had a sinister motive.

Residents of East Brunswick Township, Schuylkill County, took their concerns to a higher level. They held a public rally. They seek to enforce local regulations.

Our State Attorney General, Tom Corbett, says no. "There is no inalienable right to self government" says Corbett.

Similar problems arose in Rush Township. They also arose in Greenwhich, Oley and Hereford Townships, Berks County. Likewise also in Montgomery County. Ditto Lower Towamensing Township, Northampton County. The common denominator is not farmers, its Synagro.

Its true. By state law, local governments can not enact laws regulating sludge which are stricter than state law. However, that’s not the issue.

State law normally requires that any sludge be turned or plowed into the soil within 24 hours after application. And state law does not preclude Townships from enacting laws which are consistent with state law.

As with anything, there is a loophole. That is, PADEP can waive the requirement to turn the yucky mess into the soil. Therein lays the rub. They simply check the appropriate box on the permit application, and viola! The requirement is waived.

Actually, I’ve never seen a sludge dumping permit where the requirement was not waived. I’m guessing its just PADEP boilerplate policy.

Synagro contracts throughout the state whereas PA DEP regulates through regional offices, i.e. the South East Regional Office (Mont. Co) is distinct from the North East Regional Office, again apart from the South Central Office, etc. In other words, PADEP’s left hand may not follow its right hand. The buck, if any, probably should be passed from Tom Corbett to Kathleen McGinty, Secretary of PA-DEP.