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Long public comment alleges hazardous gases from nearby mulch/compost operation; DEP and county planning cited
Summary
Resident James J. Waldron told the board that odors and gases from a nearby mulch/compost operation have made members of his household ill and urged township and county officials and DEP to intervene; he said he will escalate to law enforcement and state agencies if he believes he or his family are poisoned.
James J. Waldron, who identified himself during the public comment period, told the board he has experienced respiratory and other symptoms he attributes to gases from a nearby mulch/compost manufacturing operation. Waldron described multiple incidents in which his home filled with fumes, said he called 911 and that responders used a propane meter that does not detect some of the compounds he alleges are present.
Waldron cited specific concerns about compost-generated organic peroxides and mulch-produced hydrogen sulfide and acetic acids, and said the facility is located approximately 200 feet from his home; he said DEP told him it could not proceed with some investigations without township input. He said he would seek action from state agencies and law enforcement if exposures continue: "In the event that I'm on my couch and I'm poisoned, I'm gonna call Corporal Kyle J Reeser and I'm gonna file charges for assault." He told the board he would invite technical assistance from Penn State Extension and referenced DEP, OSHA and county planning as possible next steps for oversight.
The zoning officer, Gus, and other speakers told Waldron that regulation of composting and mulching falls under DEP jurisdiction rather than township zoning, though zoning decisions had previously allowed manufacturing and retail sales of landscape products at the site via conditional-use approval. Board members directed that county and state processes (DEP permitting and enforcement) are the proper avenues for contamination and industrial-emissions complaints while acknowledging the residents want coordinated local response.
The board took no enforcement action at the meeting; the public comment served as a request for follow-up and for clarity about which agencies will investigate.
