Thank you, Mid Valley School Board, for once again voting to send a letter to the DEP in opposition to the landfill expansion and protecting the health of our children. As Pat Clark states in the article, we look forward to the Dunmore School Board doing the same.
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Excerpt:
The Mid Valley School Board will once again send a letter to the state Department of Environmental Protection opposing the Keystone Sanitary Landfill’s proposed 42-year expansion.
The Dunmore School Board has yet to decide.
Both boards discussed sending letters of opposition to the DEP during virtual meetings Wednesday night. The DEP is in the final phase of reviews for Keystone’s Phase III expansion. As part of the review, it opened a 60-day window for public comment on May 1. That window closes 4 p.m. Tuesday.
The expansion would allow the landfill — located in Dunmore and Throop — to continue bringing in trash until 2064, amounting to an additional 94,072,940 tons of waste, or 188 billion pounds, according to the landfill’s 42.4-year expansion plans.
Mid Valley
Directors voted 7-2 to join both Scranton and Dunmore councils in sending letters of opposition to the DEP. The board previously voted to do the same more than five years ago.
Dunmore
During the public participation portion of the Dunmore School Board virtual meeting, Superintendent John Marichak summarized two letters sent to the board by borough residents Sharon Cuff and Molly Earley Callahan asking it to oppose the expansion.
Children are especially vulnerable to environmental health issues, Cuff said in her letter.
“The key to protection is prevention, and I ask that you take steps to do just that — take action to prevent the expansion and protect the students in the district,” she wrote.
Solicitor Matthew Dempsey said it’s been the board’s policy and procedure is to leave issues, such as zoning, to Dunmore Borough Council.
However, board member Francis Kranick said he welcomes the chance to sign, and even compose a letter, to see what his fellow board members’ thoughts are on the issue.
Director Jessica LiBassi added, “It’s something we should express our view on.”
The proposed expansion is a contentious issue in the small community, said Director Michael Coleman.
“As far as a school board, do I think we have much power and pull in any decisions that are made? No I don’t,” he said. “But I think it’s important that our voices are somewhat heard and we stand up for the children.”
Pat Clark, a leader of Friends of Lackawanna, said the group respects Mid Valley’s decision and looks forward to the Dunmore School Board opposing the expansion.
“Dunmore School Board Directors are beginning to take action to protect the health of students from the known harms in their district from Keystone Sanitary Landfill,” Clark said in a text.