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Resident urges township to keep free recycling drop‑off and flags train trash, smoke concerns
Summary
Donna Louder told the Lower Saucon Landfill Committee on July 16 that the township should retain its free recycling drop‑off instead of adopting Bethlehem curb service, and reported seeing a stopped trash train near Riverside Drive during hot weather that could create odor issues; she urged DEP action on smoke.
At the July 16 Lower Saucon Landfill Committee meeting, resident Donna Louder used public comment to press two items: keeping the township’s free recycling drop‑off and notifying officials about a stopped train near Riverside Drive carrying waste that she said raised odor concerns during hot weather.
"We have a landfill in the township that does recycling for free, and all we have to do is drive it over there and put it in the designated area," Donna Louder said, arguing that the township’s drop‑off saves taxpayers money compared with the city of Bethlehem’s curb‑service fee. Staff responded that Republic Services handles curb pickup and manages material recovery through regional facilities.
Louder also said she photographed a short train stopped on Riverside Drive on July 4 near a playground and described the cars as carrying trash; she said the timing during hot, humid weather raised concerns about odors. "If there were any odor complaints on July 4, I can tell you 11:30 AM is when I took the picture," she said. Committee staff thanked her for the information and noted they would log the report.
Louder closed by urging DEP to address smoke from distant sources on high‑red‑air days: "If they declared a red alert, we need to call Canada and tell them, send the check or we'll gladly take it in acreage," she said, a reference to transboundary smoke conditions that concern local residents.
The committee heard her comments and staff noted contaminated‑soil approvals and recycling logistics elsewhere in the packet; no formal action followed from the public comment period.
