Full Notification

Plainfield Township Seeks Public Input on Regulations Regarding the Quality of Fill
 
Plainfield Township officials are discussing a draft zoning amendment that would assist in carrying out State environmental regulations to prevent the use of contaminated fill. Plainfield Township would not set its own environmental standards for fill, but would require additional local oversight of large fill operations. The draft ordinance would also require professional independent testing of a sampling of large fill operations, if the State did not require testing. 
 
The draft amendment will be discussed at a meeting of the Plainfield Township Environmental Advisory Council on Monday, October 4th, 2021 (7:00 PM), at the Plainfield Township Municipal Building, which is located at 6292 Sullivan Trail, Nazareth, PA 18064. The public is invited to attend. There also will be a later public hearing by the Board of Supervisors, before the amendment would be considered for adoption.
 
Plainfield Township includes dozens of inactive quarries, which are mostly former slate quarries. A goal of this project is to promote returning former quarries to a productive use, but in a way that makes sure that the activity occurs in an environmentally safe manner that will protect groundwater, creeks and public health.
 
The contamination risks are particularly high in quarries that have water or that are close to the water table or where contaminants could reach groundwater or surface waters. It is much more difficult to address contamination after it occurs, and much more difficult to remove contaminated materials than to dump them. 
 
There also are concerns about the potential contamination of fill used in other projects, particularly residential developments, where there is a higher health risk.
 
The Township can have a major role in quickly identifying situations that require involvement of the PA. Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), to seek an investigation and enforcement action by DEP. Also, the Township oversight process can have a strong deterrent effect upon entities that otherwise would violate environmental regulations, because they believe there is little oversight.
 
The draft amendment builds upon a model local ordinance that is being promoted by the State of New Jersey for adoption by their municipalities. 
 
Under the proposed draft ordinance, the Township would require a zoning permit for use of purported clean fill. As part of the permit, the owner of the property or the entity depositing the fill would provide a written statement describing the sources of the material. For larger fill operations, the Township would be given the authority to require periodic random testing of the materials by an independent laboratory, at no cost to the Township, as a condition of the zoning approval.

This project is being completed in partnership with the Lehigh Valley Greenways Conservation Landscape. Funding was provided in part by a grant from Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Bureau of Recreation and Conservation, Environmental Stewardship Fund, administered by Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor, Inc.