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House hearing spotlights leachate planning for new landfills after Bethlehem violations
Summary
Lawmakers heard sustained testimony on HB 566, a bill that would require detailed leachate management plans in permit applications for new landfills, prompted by reporting and regulator action around Bethlehem landfill operations and PFAS concerns.
Representative Nick Germanna opened a hearing on HB 566 by pointing to reports and Department of Environmental Services (DES) actions that, he said, show “hundreds of infractions” at the Bethlehem landfill and other facilities and that leachate — the liquid that drains from landfills — can concentrate PFAS and other contaminants.
The bill would require that permit applications for new landfills include a detailed leachate management plan covering on-site management, transportation and ultimate disposal for the facility’s operating life and post‑closure care. Germanna told the committee the requirement is not intended to prescribe treatment methods but to ensure applicants show how they will manage leachate and report changes in contracts for transport or disposal.
Business groups, operators and the Department of Environmental Services all testified at the hearing. Notch Grays of the…
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