Schuylkill County Commissioners Chairman Larry Padora and former Magisterial District Judge David Plachko exchanged heated words Wednesday morning in a clash over action or inaction with regard to BRADS Landfill.
Plachko, the former Magistrate Judge at the Port Carbon District Court, spoke out at the Commissioners meeting two weeks ago regarding a property sale between Reading Anthracite and BRADS Landfill that came to light via a public notice published in the local newspaper. He urged people to file objections to it at Schuylkill County Courthouse and has since used his Facebook account to gather support for his grassroots activism against the landfill and Reading Anthracite.
“This county is mobilizing. These last two weeks have been incredibly eye-opening for me,” Plachko said. “From Arnot’s Addition to Zion Grove, the people are mobilizing. Their voices are going to be heard. I hope you hear them.”
In public comments two weeks ago and again on Wednesday, he urged the board of Commissioners to take action. He equated a lack of action to a lack of support for the cause which he’s, in part, championing.
The topic of the Blythe Township dump along Burma Road has once again garnered significant public interest since that land deal, which includes about 177 acres. The state’s Dept. of Environmental Protection also recently renewed BRADS Landfill’s operating permit through Jan. 20, 2035, after delaying that action for about 16 months with several extensions on its initial 2015 permit due to compliance concerns and recorded violations.
After Plachko finished his comments on Wednesday, Padora responded by attempting to hand him a letter from County Solicitor Paul Datte regarding the objections the retired judge and others filed against the Reading Anthracite-BRADS land sale. The letter – a copy of which was obtained by Coal Region Canary – addresses the issue of standing in relation to that land sale. The public notice which sought objections was specifically meant for any party with a legal stake in the land deal.
According to the attorney that posted the notice in the newspaper, it was specifically directed at about a handful of people who are part-owners of the land, commonly referred to as the Seitzinger heirs. There are about 50 in total and there are about 5 who can not be located. The notice is meant to give them a chance to object to the sale. However, the notice was interpreted by some in the public as an opportunity for them to object.
Datte’s letter reads, “The County has received inquiries regarding a private land sale for which Court approval is being sought in the matter of Reading Anthracite Company, et al. vs. Barton Estate, et al., Schuylkill County Court of Common Pleas No. S-0503-2026. The inquiries appear to be premised on a legal notice indicating that objections to the proposed sale need to be filed by May 22, 2026. I have reviewed the relevant pleadings in the case, as well as the Court Order, dated April 13, 2026, directing publication of a copy of the Notice.
“The Petition for approval of the sale relates to the private sale of a parcel of property in Blythe Township, Schuylkill County. The owners of the property are Reading Anthracite Company and numerous individuals commonly identified in the Petition as the Seitzinger Heirs. Certain of the Seitzinger Heirs are included among the Petitioners in the Petition and certain of the Seitzinger Heirs are included among the Respondents in the Petition. The purpose of the Petition and the ensuing Court Order, dated April 13, 2026, is, among other things, to effect service of the required Notice on the Seitzinger Heir Respondents so that those individuals would be afforded the opportunity to object to the proposed sale of the property.
“Based on the relevant pleadings and approved public notice, only the Seitzinger Heir Respondents have standing to object to the proposed private sale of the subject property. In other words, there is no opportunity for persons other than Seitzinger Heirs to object to the proposed sale. I have also reviewed objections filed to date in the underlying proceeding and have the following observations: (i) none of those objections indicate that the individual filing the objections is a Seitzinger Heir; (ii) some of those objections are unsigned and all of those objections are unverified; and (iii) all of those objections are premised on proposed use of the property notwithstanding the fact that there is nothing in the relevant pleadings which indicate a proposed use of the property should the sale be approved by the Court.
“In conclusion, (i) the proposed sale is a private land sale between private individuals; (ii) the County of Schuylkill has no standing to object to the sale since the County is not a Seitzinger Heir; (iii) it is likely that the Court will not recognize any objection filed by anyone other than a Seitzinger Heir; and (iv) it is unlikely that the Court will consider any objection based on an unspecified use of the property and will likely focus on other issues including adequate service of the Petition on the Seitzinger Heir Respondents and sufficiency of price.”
Now, despite that opinion, on Tuesday, Saint Clair Borough Council members voted unanimously to instruct their Solicitor, Ed Brennan, to file a petition to intervene in the lawsuit between Reading Anthracite and the Seitzinger heirs. The Borough continues to voice its opposition to the landfill on multiple fronts due to numerous residents saying their health and quality of life has been adversely affected by what they claim is the dump’s inability to control smells, air and water pollution.
“You better watch yourself.”
At first, on Wednesday, Plachko declined to take a physical copy of Datte’s letter from Padora’s outstretched hand.
“OK, I’m aware,” Plachko said.
That interaction then touched off a heated discussion between the two with Padora taking exception to some of the claims of inaction for which Plachko says the Commissioners are guilty.
“The County has been opposed to the BRADS Landfill …,” Padora started saying before Plachko interjected.
“Your words mean nothing. We need action,” Plachko replied, to which the Commissioner responded by asking what action he’d like the County government to take legally.
Padora then accused Plachko of misleading people into believing they could object to a private land sale. Those words triggered Plachko, especially when the Commissioner mentioned that he spent 33 years in office as a magistrate judge.
“You better watch yourself, Larry,” Plachko said, adding to Padora’s comment on the land sale with a claim about money received to reclaim the land, “A private land sale? That land … those people got $10 million to reclaim that land. $10 million of taxpayer money that they’re now flipping for $2 million plus tipping fees.
“I came here for my public comment, not to listen to your empty words,” Plachko continued.
“This is not your courtroom.”
Padora again defended the County’s stance with regard to BRADS Landfill and told Plachko that the Commissioners intend to address the issue with DEP Sect. Jessica Shirley when she visits them later this month. He said that he’s received information from another outspoken critic of the landfill, Dr. Erin Portland, and the Commissioners intend to present that information to Shirley.
As the Commissioner explained this, Plachko responded dismissively as he walked toward the back of the Board Room gallery.
“We have no authority over DEP. It’s not an excuse. That is the law,” Padora said. “The County opposed BRADS Landfill from the very beginning, along with Saint Clair.”
“Cheap words,” Plachko responded.
“They’re not cheap words. We have no authority to stop them, Dave,” Padora said in response. “We’re actually trying to.”
The Commissioner reiterated that he used a meeting with Gov. Josh Shapiro in February regarding the proposed ICE detention center in Tremont Township to lobby for an in-person meeting with Shirley about Natural Soil Products, the biosolids processor that’s the source of many complaints about poor air quality from people in western Schuylkill County.
Padora said there are no plans to expand BRADS Landfill, despite the land deal, addressing claims by some who oppose the dump that the sale is a signal that it is expanding. An “expansion” was also referenced by the local newspaper.
Sandhya Feltes, of the law firm of Kaplin, Stewart, Meloff, Reiter & Stein PC, previously told Coal Region Canary that BRADS has been leasing this same land from Reading Anthracite for the last 10 years. That’s a point that Padora echoed on Wednesday.
However, there is a major modification permit filed by BRADS that, according to records from DEP, has not been fully addressed. That permit application seeks to allow the dump to double its daily tonnage intake from 1,500 to 3,000.
Padora said if BRADS does apply for expansion, “That is the time to object and fight it. The County Commissioners are trying to do everything we possibly can within our power that is invested of us by Harrisburg.”
When Plachko asked how much it would cost the County to join the fight, Padora responded by asking him what Saint Clair’s previous million-dollar fight against the landfill got it.
The former judge then accused Padora of “badgering” people who are speaking out, which the Commissioner denied, again defending the actions the County has taken to this point.
“Can we move on,” Plachko asked.
Padora responded, “This is not your courtroom.”
BRADS LANDFILL: Coal Region Canary provides more coverage than all other news outlets combined as concerned Saint Clair residents continue to voice their opposition to the Burma Rd. landfill. Read our full coverage by following this link: BRADS Landfill
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Lori Steinhart
May 7, 2026 at 10:53 am
Padora is a yes man with no backbone! Shouldn’t have ever been elected as a commissioner!