NATION’S LARGEST UNDERGROUND STORAGE TANK DEP ISSUES NOTICE OF VIOLATION TO NON-COMPLYING LANDFILL OPERATOR FOR NOT PAYING ALL OF WASTE TIPPING FEES

Nov 6, 2002

NATION’S LARGEST UNDERGROUND STORAGE TANK DEP ISSUES NOTICE OF VIOLATION TO NON-COMPLYING LANDFILL OPERATOR FOR NOT PAYING ALL OF WASTE TIPPING FEES

COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA
Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection
Northcentral Regional Office
208 W. Third St., Suite 101
Williamsport, Pa. 17701-6448

CONTACT: Daniel Spadoni
Community Relations Coordinator
Phone: (570) 327-3659
Email: Daniel Spadoni

WILLIAMSPORT, PA – NOVEMBER 1, 2002
Department of Environmental Protection Regional Director Robert Yowell said today that the Northern Tier Solid Waste Authority?s Bradford County landfill has been issued a Notice of Violation for not paying all of the four dollar-per-ton tipping fee adopted in June to fund Pennsylvania?s Growing Greener Program.

?The operators of these landfills have not submitted the increased tipping fee for municipal waste disposed in their landfill,? said Yowell. ?The law is very clear, landfill operators are required to pay all of the new fee, no exceptions.?

Out of 50 operating landfills, 15 have not submitted the entire fees for this quarter. Out of $20.5 million due from the landfills, about $570,000 has not been paid statewide.

In the northcentral region, the Bradford County landfill still has not paid $74,856.54 of its fees.

The tipping fees were increased under Act 90, which was passed by the Legislature and signed into law by Governor Mark Schweiker on June 29, 2002.

The new law requires an additional four-dollar ($4) per ton fee on most waste disposed in municipal waste landfills to fund the Growing Greener program.

?If these landfill operators don?t begin submitting the entire fee, then these violations could prevent the facilities from expanding their operations in the future,? said Yowell.

Although the new $4 per ton fee was effective July 9, 2002, the first payment to the state from landfill operators was not due until October 20, 2002.

Over five years, Growing Greener will invest $645.9 million distributed among four state agencies: the Department of Agriculture to administer farmland preservation projects; the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources for state park renovations and improvements; the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority for water and sewer system upgrades and DEP for environmental restoration and protection projects all over the state. DEP?s portion of Growing Greener funding was increased to $547.7 million from $241.5 million in the original program.

For more information on Act 90, visit the PA PowerPort at PowerPort , PA Keyword: “targeting trash”.