Dive Brief:

• PA Department of Health officials recently were asked by Lower Saucon government leaders to study IESI Bethlehem Landfill to see if it is adversely affecting residents’ health.
• After finding out the health department is studying two Lackawanna County municipalities in which the Keystone Landfill has acreage, Lower Saucon leaders asked for a similar study of the IESI Bethlehem Landfill. Last month, the state Department of Environmental Protection scrutinized IESI’s gas-capture system and also its ground covering process, to see if the landfill is the source of odors that Steel City residents and others in the vicinity say they smell.
• The April 21 DEP inspection found methane levels that were more than 10,000 parts per million in areas of the landfill; the site was found in violation of state laws. The methane in the air around a landfill, according to state law, should not have levels that exceed 500 parts per million.

Dive Insight:

PA Department of Health officials are considering Lower Saucon’s request for a study of IESI. In a letter to the state Department of Health, the township said: "While the township appreciates DEP's increased focus and commitment to identifying the source of these odor problems, the township is also concerned about the impacts the landfill could have on the health of the residents who live near the landfill, specifically air and water quality, particularly for residents who still use private well water."