Nov 16, 2017 2 min read

Smith Township is now on the map, thanks in part to the decisions of its board of supervisors. It has altered the community by permitting heavy industrial activity in the small, rural town of Bulger. Projects such as Energy Transfer’s cryogenic plant, Rover Pipeline’s compressor station, multiple well pads from Range Resources, as well as MarkWest’s compressor station and their new cryogenic plant, are all along a one-mile stretch of Point Pleasant Road.

Another mile away is a residual waste landfill from Max Environmental Technologies. According to an article in the Observer-Reporter on Oct. 31, Max wants another landfill in Bulger for disposal of low-level radioactive waste. Max’s Carl Spadaro admitted that they want to be competitive with other landfills and not have to turn away trucks carrying radioactive material.

Max admits they will not be ready to open a third landfill for years while they close their other landfill area, according to a 2006 agreement with the state. This closure was to stop the continued leaching of contaminates into groundwater, according to the Environmental Protection Agency website.

Max’s application to the supervisors at this point seems premature and woefully inadequate.

What will Smith’s supervisors do? Will they use their power to limit the waste to just residual waste, as it has been for the past 60 years? Or, will this current board, which has facilitated Bulger’s transformation, vote to allow low-level radioactive waste into the community?

Cathy Lodge

Bulger