Rostraver Township still seeking answers from DEP about landfill site
ROSTRAVER TOWNSHIP 鈥� Patience is wearing thin in Rostraver Township over what officials say has become a drawn-out investigation of alleged violations at the Westmoreland Sanitary Landfill site.
A group of angry residents pressed the township commissioners for answers during the board鈥檚 monthly meeting this week, and brought along photos of the landfill site to prove their case.
鈥淧eople have a right to clean air and clean water,鈥� said township resident Debbie Fought, who displayed several pictures showing dust billowing from the landfill site. 鈥淏ut I don鈥檛 think it鈥檚 fair that you aren鈥檛 paying attention. Are you providing us with health and safety? After looking at these pictures, I don鈥檛 think so.鈥�
Commissioner Devin DeRienzo told Fought that officials are taking her complaints very seriously.
鈥淲e were very disturbed about what you told us last month,鈥� said DeRienzo. 鈥淲e 鈥� reached out to the state Department of Environmental Protection. We also have contacted several people from Rostraver Township who used to work for the DEP. They are going to help with the investigation. In addition, (state) Rep. Justin Walsh has reached out to the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency). We鈥檙e doing everything we can to resolve this problem. But we are still waiting for answers.鈥�
DeRienzo added that township officials have little control of what takes place at the landfill site.
鈥淲e don鈥檛 have jurisdiction of the landfill site; the DEP is the reigning authority,鈥� he said. 鈥淗owever, every time we get a complaint, someone from our office immediately goes to the landfill site to see what is going on. Then we forward those complaints to the DEP.鈥�
DeReinzo also noted that the DEP has told the township that it doesn鈥檛 consider any of the landfill complaints to be violations.
Commissioner Harry N. Beck Sr. said he is trying to bring DEP representatives to Rostraver Township for a roundtable discussion with the commissioners, state representatives and senator, and residents.
However, DeRienzo noted that the DEP told him they will not meet with the commissioners in a public forum. DeReinzo added that he is continuing to gather facts but isn鈥檛 at liberty to discuss any findings with the public yet.
鈥淚鈥檓 not going to put any speculation out there until I have all the facts. But we have found something very disturbing. Something we frankly were not aware of. Someone is lying. We aren鈥檛 being told the truth and we have to find a way to keep people honest,鈥� said DeRienzo.
Cheryl Myers, also a township resident, said she is worried that time is running out for people who live near the landfill site.
鈥淭wo people who live near the landfill site have cancer,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e are speculating on what is causing those tumors. We鈥檙e scared and want to see this problem resolved.鈥�
Beck assured residents that the commissioners will continue to follow up until they get answers.
鈥淚 give you my word on it,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e will let you know what is going on as soon as we hear from the DEP.鈥�