Residents Battle Landfill Reopening Over Health Concerns in Grove City, Pennsylvania
Grove City, Pennsylvania, is engulfed in a contentious battle as residents fight to prevent the reopening of a decades-old landfill. Their primary concern is not just local garbage disposal but the potential acceptance of toxic and radioactive waste, particularly from the oil and gas industry. Beverly Graham, a local activist, expressed alarm after discovering that the landfill would handle oil and gas waste, raising fears of increased radiation exposure.
The landfill, called Tri-County, is strategically located near housing complexes, an airport, and retail areas, which advocates argue poses unnecessary risks to public health. The Citizens’ Environmental Association of the Slippery Rock Area (CEASRA), along with local townships, has taken the fight to Commonwealth Court, aiming to repeal the landfill’s solid waste permit. Attorney Lisa Johnson emphasized that Pennsylvania does not need this landfill if its primary function is to accommodate waste from the state’s fracking operations, which have flourished in recent years.
Opponents argue that while oil and gas waste is not legally classified as hazardous, it poses serious health risks. Evidence has suggested increased radioactivity in areas surrounding landfills that accept such waste. A 2023 decision by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection to approve a new permit for Tri-County has added fuel to local concerns, with neighbors recalling a history of violations at related facilities.
The battle in Grove City is about more than local interests; it’s a reflection of broader fears surrounding waste management in Pennsylvania. If successful, residents’ efforts could pave the way for stricter regulations on landfills throughout the state, highlighting a growing grassroots movement against the disposal of fracking waste in populated areas.
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