A public meeting on the proposed Elcon hazardous waste treatment facility in Falls Township will be held in March.
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) announced Wednesday that the meeting will take place on Tuesday, March 5 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Sheraton Bucks County Hotel on Oxford Valley Road in Falls Township.
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“The public meeting will be held to answer questions from the public regarding the permit applications for the project. Representatives from DEP’s Waste Management, Air Quality, and Clean Water programs will be on hand to discuss permit applications currently under review,” the state DEP said in a press release.
Elcon has submitted a lengthy application for construction of a facility on a 22-acre portion of a 33-acre property in the Keystone Industrial Port Complex. It has also applied for a Solid Waste Management Permit for a Commercial Hazardous Waste Treatment and Storage Facility, an Air Quality Plan Approval, and a General Stormwater Discharge permit.
The DEP released the following information on the permits the company has applied for:
Solid Waste Management Permit Application: Elcon submitted a solid waste management permit application for a commercial hazardous waste treatment facility to DEP. After a series of administrative completeness reviews, DEP found the application to be administratively complete and commenced a 10-month technical review in July 2018.
Air Quality Plan Approval Application: Elcon applied for an Air Quality Plan Approval as a minor facility on October 16, 2018. The application has been deemed administratively complete and is currently under technical review. The review ensures that the facility will meet all applicable rules and regulations, as well as meeting the best available technology, for any air pollution sources and any associated air pollution control equipment.
NPDES General Permit Application: Elcon applied for a General Stormwater Discharge permit on October 16, 2018. The administratively complete application is currently under technical review. NPDES (National Pollutants Discharge Elimination System) permits and best management practices are used to control stormwater runoff and pollution prevention. This permit would be limited to stormwater discharges only.
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The site Elcon has proposed for their facility is currently barren and covered with brush.
Elcon has been looking to construct their facility in Falls Township since 2014. After public outcry, they altered their plan in 2015 to remove a pipeline that would supply water purified by their sanitation process to nearby businesses.
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Opponents to the plan from Pennsylvania and New Jersey have pointed out that the site is not far from the Delaware River and raised alarm that the facility could pose a drinking water risk if there was a spill. They also have raised concerned over the fact that large tanker trucks would travel on local roads to get to the proposed facility. The trucks would potentially carry hundreds of chemicals in untreated water sent to the facility.
Elcon officials have said at past public events that their facility would be safe.
