Several concerned Saint Clair residents are speaking out after it was learned BRADS Landfill is purchasing more land along Burma Rd. The controversial landfill’s permit is also set to expire at the end of this month, barring a renewal or another expansion granted by state regulators.
On Wednesday, Schuylkill County Commissioners heard arguments opposing the land deal and the facility’s continued operation. The land purchase came to light thanks to a Legal Notice published in the local newspaper of record recently. That notice was shared via the Schuylkill County EcoWatch Facebook page.
The notice indicates, in part, that objections to the Petition for Approval of the Sale of Land can be filed with the Schuylkill County Court of Common Pleas, via the Prothonotary’s Office. However, it’s not for the general public to file objections, according to an attorney involved in the sale.
Reading Anthracite Company and the heirs of William Seitzinger and Jacob Seitzinger are trying to sell land they co-own known as the Lee Lands (map below). This land is located in New Castle, East Norwegian, and Blythe townships, as well as Saint Clair. In total, the sale would include 177.4 acres located north of Burma Rd. and be transferred to Blythe Recycling and Demolition Site Holdings Inc. (BRADS Landfill), which is owned by Waste Connections, of Texas.
Based on information included in a Legal Notice, the parcels highlighted in orange are those intended to be purchased by BRADS Landfill along Burma Rd.
According to Sandhya Feltes, of the law firm of Kaplin, Stewart, Meloff, Reiter & Stein PC, the reason for the need of the Petition for Approval of the Sale of Land is because there are about 50 heirs to this land through the Seitzinger family and not all have been located to OK the deal. This is an attempt to find them and give them a chance to file an objection, if they have one. They have until May 22 to do so.
The general public, she says, does not have standing to file an objection.
An agreement of sale between the co-owners and BRADS Landfill is already in place. And Feltes says the landfill has already been leasing the property. Parties familiar with the sale say BRADS wants to maintain a “buffer” to its landfill but attempts to reach Waste Connections to confirm this purpose were unsuccessful.
David Plachko, a Saint Clair resident and former Magisterial District Judge who drew a hard line in his court on trucking companies that were plagued with safety violations, spoke out Wednesday against the land sale. He sees it as an expansion of problems in his community and the landfill encroaching on the borough.
“If permitted, that dump will be one-half mile from populated areas of Saint Clair. It’s a shameful, appalling, and disgusting maneuver,” Plachko told Commissioners, indicating he still planned to file an objection to the land sale and encouraged the board to do so as well. “This fight is real and I’m ready for a free-for-all. Saint Clair is under attack from the hateful, greedy, and corrupt few but also from the silence of good people who know better but say nothing.”
Chairman Larry Padora told Plachko that Schuylkill County Commissioners currently and before him have been opposed to BRADS Landfill since its inception and that this current assembly formally opposed a proposed expansion of the dump.
“Private land sales, we’re not involved with but if they go for an expansion, that stance is not going to change in any way, shape, or form,” Padora said.
Erin Portland, who consistently speaks out publicly on the recorded violations at BRADS Landfill, did not mention the land sale in her comments Wednesday but instead, used the opportunity to ask Commissioners to explicity discuss the concerns she and others have when they meet with DEP Sect. Jessica Shirley in person next month. Specifically, she raised questions about how BRADS continues to operate outside the rules and so close to Wolf Creek Reservoir, which is the source of her drinking water and for many in Saint Clair.
Portland highlighted numerous recent violations recorded by DEP during a November inspection, including alarming levels of hydrogen sulfide in the air, improper cover, and other unpermitted uses. She also noted DEP awarding a $300,000 contract to BRADS Landfill to dispose of 3,000 tons used field turf that had been sitting at a Rush Township industrial park, when plans for a recycling facility for it dissolved.
“These are not extreme concerns. These are reasonable expections for oversight and accountability,” she said. “Our community deserves clear answers, transparent information, and confidence that environmental protections are being enforced and not assumed.”
In January 2024, BRADS applied to DEP for a permit renewal. Since then, DEP has not granted it but has extended the dump’s operating agreement several times, most recently in January, when it allowed BRADS to continue operating until at least April 30. In that time, DEP has also issued BRADS several Technical Deficiency Letters based on its consistent compliance issues.
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