The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection has approved the major permit modification application for the Rolling Hills Landfill in Berks County. The Delaware County Solid Waste Authority owns and operates the municipal waste facility located in Earl Township.
The approval allows the landfill to expand via construction of a soil berm that will provide 8.8 million cubic yards of disposal volume and add approximately 10.4 years of waste disposal capacity to the landfill.
The expansion will not increase the currently permitted maximum elevation, disposal area footprint, property boundary or daily volumes of waste accepted.
“DEP considered all submitted comments and concerns, and after a thorough review of the application and related information, determined the regulatory requirements for approval have been met,” said DEP Southcentral Regional Director Rod Nesmith.
“We appreciate the efforts made by all concerned parties in reaching a final agreement on the issues that were raised.”
DCSWA submitted the application in November 2018 and DEP conducted a public meeting and hearing in March 2019. Issues raised included increased truck traffic along the haul route through the Borough of Boyertown, and environmental nuisances of odors, mud and dust, noise, and litter.
Based on a detailed traffic analysis, DCSWA and Boyertown officials developed an agreement for DCSWA to provide funding and operational conditions to mitigate the impacts from traffic related harms. DCSWA will continue to employ its existing nuisance control plan at the site.
