The Amity Township Board of Supervisors will vote Nov. 5 on Environmental Enterprises, Inc., application to establish a 10-day environmental waste truck to transfer station in Amity Township. The final testimony was heard on Oct. 15 at the Conditional Use Hearing before the board. The hearing was continued from Sept. 22.
Environmental Enterprises, Inc., is an environmental services company that uses a 10-day truck to transfer station to dispose of customer’s industrial and hazardous waste and laboratory chemical packaging.
The company also provides emergency response, field service projects, and industrial hygiene sampling.
Brian J. Hunter, CHMM, division manager, said the company has leased a property in Royersford, Montgomery County, for 19 years, but now wants to purchase the 3.38 acre site at 3 Riga Lane in Amity Township, following approval by the Board of Supervisors.
He said 3 Riga Lane is located within the township’s Planned Business/Office/Industrial (PBOI) District, which encourages light industrial uses and is also adjacent to the Route 422 corridor.
The property is also adjacent to Teltron Technologies, Inc., 2 Riga Lane, which leases the building to Aydin Displays, Inc., 1 Riga Lane, a manufacturer of display technology for the industrial, military, and air traffic control industries.
Edward M. Mengel, manager, testified that Aydin Displays uses alcohol and silicon rubber in its manufacturing and said there could be some resulting metal scrap.
“I can’t be sure there isn’t any waste,” said Mengel.
He said Aydin Displays complies with MSDS (Material Data Safety Sheet) that describes the physical and chemical properties of chemicals used in its manufacturing process.
“We are compliant with DEP,” said Mengel.
Hunter said Environmental Enterprises also complies with all DEP regulations, including secondary containment.
“There is a distinction that we transport waste and don’t dispose of it,” said Hunter. “We definitely deal with solid waste as defined by the DEP.”
“We’re not a Resource Recovery Facility — we don’t do trash transfer,” said Hunter. “Closed containers are moved from one truck to another, like moving freight. Trash transfer is not similar to what we do. The business is similar to a truck distribution center. A warehouse facility is permitted in this zoning district, and a wholesale and distribution use would have trucks.”
“Everything is sealed and closed, and never opened. We never repackage hazardous waste. Leaking is over-packed or re-packed, and it is unlikely that there would be fumes dangerous to the community, and no odors. We are highly regulated. If there ever was a spill, DEP would have to be notified.”
“Nothing ever fell of or from a truck. Flammable liquids and oxidizers must be kept four feet apart, by Department of Transportation regulations, the agency which has specified the 10-day truck transfer limit.”
Hunter said DEP has specified a 10-day limit on universal waste, which includes fluorescent bulbs, batteries, computers and old televisions.
“We are completely trained in dealing with all sorts of materials and we follow all regulations,” said Hunter, who is bonded by DEP, and added, “We (including Bob Pflugler, the company’s lab-pack chemist for 16 years) have received 40 hours of OSHA (Occupational Safety & Health Administration) training.”
Hunter testified that in July 2012 Environmental Enterprises did receive three federal citations for a box of fluorescent bulbs that wasn’t closed, batteries were stored in unlabeled containers, and also for not locking a gate that permitted unauthorized entry.
“The violations were pointed out and corrected immediately,” said Hunter, adding that there haven’t been any municipal violations from the Borough of Royersford.
Mengel said the application should not be before the Board of Supervisors as a conditional use, but a Special Exception request before the Zoning Board.
He said his company’s concerns are with traffic and emergency access on the cul-de-sac road and that there are two nearby residences with two children who walk on Riga Lane for the school bus.
Another concern he testified was that chemical spills could contaminate the area’s water wells and the nearby Schuylkill
River, since there isn’t any stormwater runoff control.
“Teltron has had vandalism to a truck on the property,” said Mengel. “Bullet holes in buildings and signs at least two times, probably from hunters.”
“If trucks are outside, and people aren’t there 24 hours a day … very dangerous to have hazardous chemicals with no one there. If bullets [shots are fired], a leak could go undetected for days,” said Mengel, adding, “A hazardous spill would shut down our facility and impact national defense issues.”
He asked that if approved the Environmental Enterprises property be fenced and screened.
Mengel said Aydin Display’s property is not fenced.
“The only place it fits in is where uses are regulated by DEP,” said Mengel’s attorney, Allen Shollenberger, adding, “this should be a special exception filing — a DEP regulated storage facility for hazardous and solid waste.”