PADEP Meeting on Mulching/Compost Facility

From PA Dept. of Environmental Protection

DEP To Host Public Meeting on Proposed Mulching/Compost Facility in Northampton County

Wilkes-Barre, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) will host a public meeting to answer questions from residents about two permit applications from Gravel Hill Enterprises, Inc. to construct and operate a compost and mulching facility in Lower Mount Bethel Township, Northampton County.

WHAT: Public Meeting, Gravel Hill Enterprises, Mulching Operation

WHEN: Thursday, January 16, 2020, 6:00 to 9:00 PM

WHERE: Lower Mount Bethel Township Centerfield Building, 6984 S. Delaware Drive, Martins Creek, PA 18063

The meeting will take place on Thursday, January 16, 2020, from 6:00 to 9:00 PM at the Lower Mount Bethel Township Centerfield Building, located at 6984 S. Delaware Drive in Martins Creek. Representatives from DEP, Northampton County Conservation District (NCCD), and Gravel Hill will be in attendance to answer questions.

In March of 2019, Gravel Hill applied for a beneficial use Waste Management General Permit (WMGM015) to transport stumps, tree limbs, and other untreated wood to the facility along Gravel Hill Road, which will be ground into mulch or compost material for landscaping purposes. The application was deemed administratively complete on May 22, 2019.  Also, NCCD is reviewing a National Pollutant Discharge and Elimination System (NPDES) permit from the company for discharge purposes during construction and clearing of 30 acres of tree stumps. That application was deemed administratively complete on November 25, 2019. Both permit applications are currently under review by DEP’s Waste Management Staff and NCCD.  

 “This project has generated a lot of public interest and the department wants to make sure residents are informed about the project and the permit review process” said Mike Bedrin, Director of DEP’s Northeast Regional Office in Wilkes-Barre. “We encourage residents to come out and ask questions.”

Those wishing to pre-register for the public meeting or submit written public comments can do so by contacting Colleen Connolly, DEP community relations coordinator, at 570-826-2035 or by email at coconnolly@pa.gov.

A copy of the WMGM015 permit application is available for public review at DEP’s Northeast Regional Office, located at 2 Public Square in Wilkes-Barre. A copy of the NPDES permit application is available at the NCCD, located at 14 Gracedale Ave. in Nazareth. Those wishing to review the WMGM015 application can do so by calling DEP at 570-826-2511 to schedule an appointment. Those wishing to review the NPDES permit application should call NCCD at 610-829-6276 to schedule an appointment.

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