Politics & Government

Landfill Expansion Opponents Target Giant Shoppers

A "No Rezoning" flyer was placed on the windshields of cars parked at the Giant Food Store in Lower Saucon Township Wednesday night. Local residents were urged to attend tonight's township planning commission meeting.

Area residents opposed to a proposed rezoning that could benefit IESI Bethlehem Landfill targeted Giant shoppers Wednesday evening with flyers placed on car windshields outside the supermarket in Lower Saucon Township.

The flyers urged township residents to attend a "very important" meeting of the Lower Saucon Township Planning Commission tonight at 7pm at the Saucon Valley High School auditorium.

"Come show your support to stop the landfill expansion in Lower Saucon Township," the flyers stated. "You can speak up to say 'VOTE NO.' Let's keep the natural resources in our township instead of an expansion of the landfill."

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The flyer also asked residents to sign a petition opposing the landfill rezoning at svfold.org--a website established by the group Saucon Valley Families Opposing Landfill Development.

For months, the township's planning commission has been considering the rezoning request for property adjacent to the landfill along Applebutter Road.

Find out what's happening in Hellertown-Lower Sauconwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Rezoning the land along Applebutter Road would help pave the way for IESI Bethlehem Landfill's proposed western expansion, which would extend its operational lifespan--and the host fees that are a significant source of income for the township--by a number of years.

The landfill is currently estimated to be at capacity--and the end of its lifespan--within five or so years.

Many of the residents opposed to the expansion of the facility live in the township's Steel City section, which is located on the other side of a ridge from the landfill.

They have expressed fears about the potential environmental impact of a landfill expansion, as well as fears about how the growth of the facility could affect their quality of life.


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