Dive Brief:
- Katie McGinty, Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania, has come out against expanding the Keystone Sanitary Landfill, as reported by The Times-Tribune.
- The former state Department of Environmental Protection secretary held a joint appearance with advocacy group Friends of Lackawanna to oppose a plan that would extend the landfill's lifespan by nearly 45 years.
- McGinty also voiced support for Senator Bob Casey's proposed Trash Reduction and Sensible Handling (TRASH) Act which would limit interstate waste shipments. Her opponent, Senator Pat Toomey, has not taken a position on either issue.
Dive Insight:
The Keystone landfill is the third-busiest by volume in the state and has been the subject of numerous attacks in recent years. The landfill operators argue that an expansion would provide economic benefits and long-term stability to the region, but local advocates disagree. Efforts have been made to stop the expansion as well as revoke the site's operating permit and leachate line permit.
According to a new report from the Environmental Research & Education Foundation interstate waste shipments decreased between 2010 and 2013, though the practice is still common. Pennsylvania is one the top waste importers in the country, which has been a key point of contention among residents tired of dealing with material from states such as New York and New Jersey. Virginia has actually increased its imports recently, while the Big Run Landfill in Kentucky was forced to stop accepting out-of-state waste due to a lawsuit.
The TRASH Act would allow states to limit this by setting strict requirements and fees, but hasn't gained much traction since it was introduced last year. While it's unlikely the bill will receive much attention outside of McGinty's campaign anything is possible in a battleground state during such an unpredictable election year.
