Schuylkill County commissioners press for resident protections after meeting with Gov. Shapiro on proposed Tremont Township ICE facility

Schuylkill County commissioners said March 4 they are pursuing protections for residents and county infrastructure after a Feb. 26 meeting with Gov. Josh Shapiro about a proposed ICE facility in Tremont Township. Commissioner Larry Padora said county officials have a follow-up call scheduled with the governor and are gathering more information about the project and possible state actions.

"The governor believes that he can stop it by using every legal option that he has," Padora said, and county officials will keep working to ensure protections are in place for residents and for local infrastructure. Padora said a suggestion was raised to require monthly inspections of the facility by county agencies including EMS, the sheriff's office and 911 communications.

Commissioner Gary Hess said residents in the county's west end have endured odors from Natural Soil Products for years and that another industrial operation raises additional concerns for the community. Commissioner Barron Hetherington said individual opinions do not determine the outcome but pledged the county will make every effort to protect citizens if the facility is sited in the county.

Several residents spoke during the public-comment portion: Shirley Wagner of Joliet, Lisa Von Ahn of Pottsville and Ellie Siegfried of Orwigsburg each commented on the proposed facility, urging attention to community impacts.

Padora said Gov. Shapiro told him he would connect county officials with the secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection to address odor and environmental concerns.

Next steps: county officials said they would continue discussions with the governor and state agencies and gather additional information; no formal county action or vote on the project was recorded at the March 4 work session.