IESI Targets Steel City Residents With Informational Mailer

The owners of in Lower Saucon Township have fired another shot across the bow in their disagreement with local residents who oppose an expansion of the Applebutter Road garbage facility, and any rezoning that would allow it.

According to Steel City resident and township landfill committee member Donna Louder, an informational mailer from IESI was recently delivered to homes such as hers.

Steel City is Lower Saucon Township's most densely populated section, and is located near the landfill, on the other side of a forested ridge.

The mailer assures residents that even with an expansion, the landfill will never expand beyond the ridgeline, which the company calls "a natural buffer between our business and Steel City."

According to the mailer, "for the past 12+ years, IESI Bethlehem Landfill has been proud to be part of the Saucon Valley community and has been a good neighbor to the residents of Lower Saucon Township."

The company also touts the financial benefit to the township that comes from landfill host fees.

"The host fees that we pay the township on every ton of refuse that gets disposed at our facility offset approximately 30 percent of the township's operating expenses annually," the mailer says. "This significantly reduces the tax burden on ALL Lower Saucon Township residents."

that an analysis of the estimated $1.6 million in host fees paid annually to the township by IESI revealed that the financial impact of the landfill's closure on taxpayers would be less dramatic than some have claimed.

Among the opponents to the landfill's pending rezoning request--which --are called Saucon Valley Families Opposed to Landfill Development (FOLD).

In addition to speaking out at public meetings, members of the group are campaigning hard against an expansion by distributing a flyer of their own.

The flyer is specifically designed to be a "Heads Up" about Thursday's planning meeting, and warns township residents to watch out because "there's a trash train coming, and it's heading straight at you!"

As an illustration of that message, the flyer shows a locomotive emblazoned with the letters "IESI" bearing down on an ostrich with its head buried in the ground. Next to the ostrich are the words "Lower Saucon Residents."

The flyer claims that the township's planning commission will vote to recommend rezoning the land adjacent to the landfill; an action that would help pave the way for the expansion.

Township planners have not publicly taken any official position on the rezoning request to date, and any expansion of the landfill would ultimately require the approval of Lower Saucon Township Council and other authorities.

If the landfill is permitted to expand, "thousands of additional tons of toxic New York and New Jersey garbage will flow into our community, bringing with it water and air pollution, the destruction of our skyline, and much more garbage truck traffic," the Saucon Valley FOLD flyer claims.

According to estimates discussed at council and other meetings, as much as 70 percent of the waste hauled to IESI Bethlehem Landfilll originates out-of-state.

Thursday's planning meeting will be held in the high school cafeteria, where township meetings are typically held when a large turn-out is anticipated.