PA DEP Issues Air Permit for Pennsylvania Recycler

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection issued an air quality plan approval for Horgan Recycling Inc. to construct and temporarily operate a concrete and asphalt-crushing unit in Montgomery County.

DEP’s air permits are issued in two phases: the initial plan approval phase allows for construction to begin, where needed, and for approved machinery to operate during a 6-to-10-month period to ensure permit conditions can be met. The final phase is an operating permit, which is issued for a period of five years.

"We met with township officials and citizens regarding this application and maintained contact throughout the process to answer questions and obtain comments," says DEP Southeast Regional Director Joseph Feola. "This permit contains a key provision requiring that recycling operations comply with municipal zoning laws, which address many of the concerns raised by local residents and municipal officials."

The public comment period ended in November, and a formal comment-response document has been published which provides answers to questions and additional information that was requested in the comments received by the department.

Most of the concerns raised in these comments related to increased traffic, noise and the close proximity of such an operation to homes and businesses. Since these are considered municipal zoning issues, air permit includes a condition that will not allow the company to operate the crusher if side operations are in violation of municipal zoning.

The plan approval also outlines the need for municipal approval before temporary operation can begin. Once that is obtained, terms of approval for allow for operation of a diesel generator and crushing unit five-days-per-week, 1,2000-hours-per-day, between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Horgan also holds a DEP waste general permit issued in January which limits the amount of material that can be stockpiled on site.