Letter: Resident Says 'YES' to Landfill Expansion

Editor's Note: The following letter was written in response to .

Landfills are--and always will be--a very polarizing issue. Nobody, given the choice, would ask to have a landfill built in their backyard. However, we're not talking about building a new landfill. We're talking about expanding an existing landfill. The property in question will be a landfill forever. That can't be changed.

I have lived in Steel City and Lower Saucon Township for the last 14 years and have not had a single occasion to complain about the operation of the landfill. No smell. No noise. Nothing. Rather, the landfill has operated as a good neighbor and township citizen. That's not to say that no problems have occurred. Rainwater runoff and muddy washouts were discussed at great length during the last fact-finding council meeting. Mud and rocks on a roadway are absolutely a problem. Discussions about leachate detection and management are quite valid and were addressed at the last meeting. But the problems, in this case, have an owner that takes responsibility.

If this discussion were about building a new landfill on pristine land I would join others in saying NO. But it's not. We're talking about land that is already a landfill and is not suitable for any other use.

We're not talking about a landfill with operational issues or a long list of documented infractions or safety violations. Quite the opposite... We're talking about a landfill that is run responsibly and according to all applicable guidelines.

We're talking about a local employer that is providing income and benefits to a number of our township neighbors.

We're talking about a company that is contributing significantly to the economies of the township and the greater Lehigh Valley as a whole.

We're talking about an organization that is contributing approximately 30 percent of the overall township revenue. 

For all of these reasons, I say YES to the rezoning and expansion of the landfill.

Kerry Kulp

Lower Saucon Township