Rostraver hires environmental law firm for potential landfill action

By CHRISTINE HAINES
chaines@yourmvi.com

The Rostraver Township Commissioners Wednesday hired an environmental lawyer to provide consultation regarding potential actions against the Westmoreland Sanitary Landfill.
Fair Shake Environmental Services was hired as special legal counsel at a rate not to exceed $10,000 for the year. Commissioners’ President John Lorenzo said funds had been set aside for special counsel in a budgetary line item for 2021.
“We felt it was important to broaden our understanding to know what more we could be doing,” Lorenzo said.
Lorenzo said the special counsel will advise the township officials regarding the separation between the powers of the state Department of Environmental Protection and the duties of the township. “This is going to give us another tool in our arsenal to keep our residents safe.”
Commissioner Devin DeRienzo said the township has not received a formal report from the DEP for March, but the DEP website lists five ongoing violations found during an inspection March 3 including failing to provide daily cover on the working face of the landfill, failing to send drainage from the landfill through a settlement pond and failure to control run-off from the access road.
The township has begun citations of its own at the landfill related to its stormwater-hotspot ordinance and run off coming from the site. Lorenzo said the specialty law firm will provide a more in-depth review of the laws and ordinances which the township may be able to enforce independent of the DEP.

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