DEP: Westmoreland Landfill To Pay $59,000 Penalty To Address Multiple Violations

On October 14, the Department of Environmental Protection announced it has executed a consent order and agreement (COA) with Westmoreland Sanitary Landfill, LLC, a residual/municipal waste landfill located in Rostraver Township, Westmoreland County. 

The agreement includes a $59,000 civil penalty for violations of the landfill’s permit, Solid Waste Management Act and state regulations.

During inspections between July 31, 2019 and September 24, 2020, DEP found a number of violations, some of which were ongoing, including--

-- Inadequate vegetative cover;

-- Exposed waste in various locations;

-- Tracked mud on on-site and off-site roads;

-- Poorly maintained haul roads;

-- Failure to maintain equipment; 

-- Excavation without adequate erosion or sedimentation controls;

-- Unmaintained berms;

-- Leachate trench and erosion gullies that did not conform to the regulations;

-- Release of leachate onto the ground and into a stormwater sump;

-- Not up-to-date recordkeeping;

-- Operations outside of approved hours; and

-- Failure to block access to the site when an attendant is not on duty. 

Westmoreland Sanitary Landfill is required to submit plans for DEP review that include corrective actions to address current violations and specific procedures to minimize the potential for future violations. 

The agreement also requires a schedule for implementation of the plans once they have been approved by DEP.

The $59,000 civil penalty will go into the Commonwealth’s Solid Waste Abatement Fund.

In February, DEP negotiated a COA to resolve violations associated with the unauthorized trucking of leachate, require procedures to reduce the amount of leachate produced, and require plans for appropriate management of leachate that is produced.  Read more here.

Media questions should be directed to Lauren Fraley, DEP Southwest Regional Office, 412-442-4203 or send email to: lfraley@pa.gov. 

Related Article:

DEP Fines Westmoreland Sanitary Landfill $24,000 To Resolve Waste Violations; Drilling Waste Impacts On Leachate

[Posted: October 14, 2020]  PA Environment Digest