Protecting Today... Preserving Tomorrow

Help save 5,800 wild acres of forest habitat in the central Pennsylvania Wilds from being turned into the largest dump east of the Mississippi. Let the people in power know this area, noted for its scenic beauty and outdoor recreation opportunities, is not compatible with a landfill-incinerator-industrial park complex!

FILE REVIEW

The RRLLC Permit Application
• RRLF Application Documents
• Wetlands Permit Applications
– State-Regulated Wetlands (DEP)
– Federally Regulated (USACE)
• Key DEP Procedural Documents

Note: The documents on this page are scanned from the Resource Recovery Municipal Solid Waste Landfill Permit or from supporting documents in the DEP file review. We have done our best to make them accessible.

You will need a PDF Reader (e.g., Adobe Acrobat) to open them. Please report any trouble to our Webhead TechieR.

File sizes are noted; please be patient. Some are larger than others.

ON-SITE RESOURCES

• PPC Membership Form
• Effective Letterwriting
• Sample Letters
• Agencies & Decision Makers
• Letters to the Editor
• Meetings & Events Calendar

SHOW UNITY

• Order a bumpersticker online
• Wear a "Stop the Dump" T-shirt or button
• Post signs in your yard
• Print signs-- Spread the word

"Stop the Dump" bumperstickers, T-shirts, and buttons will be available at fundraisers and events.

THE RRLLC LANDFILL PERMIT APPLICATION

NOTE: The Resource Recovery landfill permit application was submitted May 5, 2005. Read the Public Notice published April 10, 17 & 24, 2006 in the Centre Daily Times announcing RRLLC's intention to construct a mega landfill in central Pennsylvania.

To help get a better understanding of how the landfill permitting process works, download the Resource Recovery Landfill Alternate Review Timeline and the DEP Permitting Process Flow Chart received at the Local Municipality Involvement Process (LMIP) meeting held in June 2006.

Documents from the RRLLC Landfill Permit Application

Table of Contents
The application consists of two phases: Phase I (Harms-Benefits), Volumes 1–3; and Phase II (Technical), Volumes 4–7. The tables of contents are provided in the following PDF files. Please let us know if there are any sections you are interested in.

RRLF Municipal Solid Waste Permit Application: Phase I Table of Contents
RRLF Municipal Solid Waste Permit Application: Phase II Table of Contents

Term of Permit (124k)
RRLLC's explanation for needing a 25-year permit in lieu of the current standard 10-year permit. PPC adamantly opposes this request by RRLLC, a new company that has never owned or operated a landfill!

Environmental Impact (1.2MB) RRLLC's summary answer to DEP's Form D, the environmental criteria that needs to be addressed by a landfill applicant.

Effect on traffic, noise, visibility, wetlands, and financial benefits in a table format (290k)
Table summaries of Existing Traffic on I-80; Projected Truck Traffic; Total Trip Generation; Operation-Related Noise; Line of Sight Study Results; Wetlands Impact; Financial Benefits; Harms and Benefits.

Harms and Benefits Weighting in a graph format (Table D-9A; 140k)
RRLLC's harms vs. benefits weighting as a summary graph. According to this graph the benefits of the Resource Recovery Landfill outweigh the harms by a ratio of 56:1!

RRLLC's weighting assignments and calculations for harms-benefits weighting in Table D-9A. (100k).

Wetlands (328k) RRLLC's summary of their wetlands assessment.

Noise Impact Study (800k)
Will the noise of the 24/7 operation of the proposed landfill affect your experience while you walk on the Snow Shoe Rail Trail, boat on the Red Moshannon, visit your seasonal property, hunt for game, fish in the Black Moshannon, observe interior forest birds, etc? RRLLC's study says it won't make much of a difference. Common sense dictates that the noisy commotion of a working landfill is not compatible with the serenity of this wilderness area. What do you think?

Line of Sight Study (453k)
Will you be able to see the landfill? RRLLC's study says the landfill will only be visible to a small percentage of properties. Are you comfortable with the study done by the Arm Group, Inc. or do you think DEP should require RRLLC to do a balloon test? This is a test where large balloons would be floated above the site the same height as the landfill would be. This seems to be a more accurate assessment of how visible the proposed landfill would be. We strongly suggest all Cooper Township residents request a balloon test.

Transportation Compliance Plan (195k)

Compliance History (172k)
This form contains minimal information. There is no compliance history because Resource Recovery, LLC has never owned, constructed, or operated a landfill. RRLLC has only existed since April 2004 and was specifically created to construct this landfill.

Who are the owners? (202k)
The articles of incorporation and list of the company owners that Resource Recovery filed with DEP. NOTE: This document originally contained the names of contiguous property owners; PPC has masked the names of the individuals listed by RRLLC in this document to protect anonymity.

Note: The following consists of letters from RRLLC's agent, the ARM Group, Inc., requesting clearance for nearby airports and state parks, and endangered and threatened species, and so forth, as well as the reply from the state or federal agency. This section has been broken down into smaller related documents, primarily by agency, to allow for faster downloading:

Bureau of Aviation (584k)
Bureau of Watershed Management (426k)
Bureau of Parks (356k)
Pennsylvania Game Commission (352k)
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (576k)
Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission (356k)
Bureau of Forestry (1.4MB)
Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (278k)

The entire permit application is available for public review at the following locations:

Rush Township Municipal Building 150 N. Richard Street North Phillipsburg Phone: 814-342-0514	Centre County Planning Office 420 Holmes Street, 3rd Floor Bellefonte Phone: 814-355-6791
DEP Northcentral Region Office 208 West Third Street, Suite 101 Williamsport Phone: 570-327-3636

You may find additional information on the RRLLC landfill proposal by logging on to the DEP's web site at www.depweb.state.pa.us. Click on "Northcentral," then "Community Involvement," then "Proposed Regional Landfills." Alternatively, you can just use this link; pertinent documentation/correspondence can be found under "Milestones" on this page.

Please send your public comments about the landfill permit application to:

E-mail: RA-NC-WM-Comments@state.pa.us
Note: Please include Resource Recovery Landfill in the subject line.

U.S. Mail:
Dave Garg, P.E., Facilities Manager
Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection
Williamsport Regional Office
208 West Third Street, Suite 101
Williamsport, PA 17701

Wetlands Permit Applications

In order to construct their landfill, RRLLC needs approval to destroy almost 11 acres of wetlands. Some of the impacted wetlands are under the jurisdiction of DEP and some are under the jurisdiction of the Army Corp of Engineers (COE). Following is information about both permit applications.

State-Regulated Wetlands— DEP

DEP posted ARM's (RRLLC's engineer) response to their Water Obstruction and Encroachment Permit Deficiency Letter sent October 2, 2006 concerning wetlands encroachment. You can read ARM's response on the DEP Milestone page or use the following links to read the letter and its attachments acquired at the Nov 21, 2006 file review:

DEP Water Obstruction and Encroachment Permit Deficiency Letter sent October 2, 2006
ARM response letter October 16, 2006

Attachments:

Attachment 2: Mr. E.B. Abel, Jr. Letter, dated June 30, 2005, and ARM Letter, dated July 5, 2005 (376k)
Attachment 3: DEP Municipal Waste Capacity and Disposal Report and PWIA Municipal Waste Processing and Disposal Facilities Daily Supply and Demand by Region as of January 2009 (400k)
Attachment 4: Summary of Benefits Associated with the Proposed RRLF Project (120k)
Attachment 5: Wetland Delineation Report, Point of Access Study for the I-80/Gorton Road Interchange (848k)
Attachment 6: Wetland Functions and Values Assessment (1.1MB)

Please send your public comments to:
Rich Adams
Northcentral Region Water Management Program
Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection
208 West Third Street
Williamsport, PA 17701
phone: 570-327-3636

Federal Wetlands— U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

COMMENT PERIOD OPEN: JAN 16 – Feb 14, 2007 ACT NOW

Approximately 3.64 acres of the 11 acres of wetlands to be filled by this project fall under the jurisdiction of the Army Corps of Engineers.

All factors which may be relevant to the proposal will be considered, including the cumulative effects thereof; among those conservation, economics, aestethics, general environmental concerns, wetlands, cultural values, fish and wildlife values, flood hazards, flood plain values, land use, navigation, shoreline erosion and accretion, recreation, water supply and conservation, water quality, energy needs, safety, food production, and, in general, the needs and welfare of the people.

Boaters of the Moshannon Creek, now is the time to act!

Download the full public notice from the Baltimore District Office site for more details. Much of the information in the federal permit application is duplicated from the DEP's §105 permit application.

Any person who has an interest which may be adversely impacted by the issuance of this permit may request a public hearing. The request, which must be in writing, must be received by the District Engineer, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District, Attn: Tom Pluto, State College Field Office, 1631 South Atherton Street, Suite 102, State College, PA 16801, within the comment period to receive consideration. Also it must clearly set forth the interest which may be adversely affected by this activity and the manner in which the interest may be adversely affected.

Any questions concerning this matter should be directed to Dr. Tom Pluto at 814-235-0574.

Written comments may be sent to:
District Engineer
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District
Attn: Dr. Tom Pluto
State College Field Office
1631 South Atherton Street, Suite 102
State College, PA 16801

Copy DEP with any wetlands comments you send to U.S. Army Corps. The state's §105 Wetlands Encroachment application is still under review. Don't forget to put "Resource Recovery Landfill" in the subject line.
Rich Adams
Northcentral Region Water Management Program
Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection
208 West Third Street
Williamsport, PA 17701
phone: 570-327-3636

Key DEP Procedural Documents

Read about the regulations and policies RRLLC must comply with in order to receive a landfill permit.

Environmental Assessment Process, Phase 1 Review
Form D, Environmental Assessment
Local Municipality Involvement Process
Process for Evaluating Daily Volume
Municipal Waste Facility Review: Traffic Analysis
Final Revision of Policy for Consideration of Local Comprehensive Plans and Zoning Ordinances in DEP Review of Permits for Facilities and Infrastructure

People Protecting Communities • PO Box 38 • Clarence, PA 16829 • catnapb@verizon.net

©2005-2007 People Protecting Communities • last updated Jan 29, 2007
This site has been developed, designed and maintained with 100% volunteer work. No funds are used.
Please report problems to our volunteer WebHead, TechieR