Residents press Schuylkill County commissioners on proposed Tremont Township ice facility; board seeks state reviews
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Summary
Dozens of residents urged the Schuylkill County Board of Commissioners to scrutinize a proposed ice facility in Tremont Township over environmental and health concerns; commissioners said they will meet with state agencies and a federal representative to seek information and discuss potential employment for displaced Saks workers.
Dozens of residents told the Schuylkill County Board of Commissioners on March 11 that a proposed ice facility in Tremont Township raises environmental, health and community concerns and urged the board to seek careful review.
Commissioner Larry Padora told the meeting that he and Commissioner Barron Hetherington visited the former Big Lots warehouse site and that Congressman Dan Meuser had visited the courthouse to confer with the commissioners about the proposal. Padora said the commissioners will meet with the Department of Human Services via Microsoft Teams on March 12 and that an early‑April meeting is being set up with the secretary of the Department of Environmental Protection to discuss residents’ concerns about “natural soil products.” He said an email is being sent to DHS asking that former Saks employees receive “preferential treatment for employment” if the ice facility opens.
The public comment period included speakers from Tremont, Orwigsburg, Schuylkill Haven, Morea, North Manheim Township, Deer Lake and Tamaqua. Public commenters whose remarks were recorded included Cheryl Matz, Sarah Hunger, Florence Hunger, Mike Zavallin, Natalie Bartash, Helen Slucitz, Cathy Benyak, Chuck Klaybaugh, Lara Wiscount, Ava Miller, Erin Miller, Krista Cantner, Melinda Deibert, Robert Caputo, Brianna DelValle, Jeff Dunkel, Tom Williams, Shirley Wagner and Emma Bast. Many expressed concern about environmental impacts and the presence or handling of so‑called natural soil products in the west end of the county.
One resident, Melinda Deibert of North Manheim Township, combined the two topics in her remarks, urging the commissioners to consider both the ice facility plans and local issues with soil products. Steven Moyer of Mechanicsville raised separate concerns related to SNAP and Medicaid during the public comment period.
The board did not take a vote or issue a policy decision on the ice facility during the meeting. Commissioners characterized the next steps as agency outreach and fact‑gathering: Padora said the county has obtained contact information at the Department of Environmental Protection and will press state and federal contacts for more information. The meeting record shows follow‑up meetings with DHS and a planned DEP meeting are the immediate actions.