Dear Friend, The Delaware County Regional Water Quality Control Authority (DELCORA) operates a public sewage sludge incinerator on the Delaware River in Chester, PA. This facility processes sewage waste generated throughout Delaware County and other regions. It also incinerates industrial wastewater, industrial food processing, grease, medical waste and residual waste. The incineration of waste leads to toxic air pollution and public health impacts for residents of the city of Chester, which is classified as an Environmental Justice (EJ) area by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). For too long, Chester’s predominantly Black residents have experienced the perpetual and severe public health impacts of environmental racism and injustice. Clean Air Council, along with hundreds of impacted residents, recently submitted comments to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) requesting that DEP deny DELCORA’s proposed wastewater discharge permit renewal because they are currently in violation of the Clean Water Act for discharging large amounts of fecal coliform into the Delaware River. The facility is also currently in high priority violation of the Clean Air Act for emissions of hydrochloric acid, which can cause long and short-term respiratory irritation according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Now a private, for profit company, Aqua Pennsylvania Wastewater Inc., is attempting to acquire the public sewage sludge incinerator in Chester, and has submitted an application to DEP to transfer DELCORA’s solid waste permit to Aqua. The sale of DELCORA to AQUA is problematic for numerous reasons. First, while Aqua Wastewater Inc. promotes itself as a water utility, it is actually a subsidiary of “Essential Utilities” which provides water, wastewater, and natural gas service in 10 states under the AQUA and Peoples Natural Gas brands. Essential recently acquired the Pittsburgh-based private natural gas company Peoples Natural Gas for $4.275 billion, including the assumption of approximately $1.1 billion of debt. The volatility of the natural gas industry, and the poor compliance history of the sewage sludge incinerator along with the large debt possessed by Essential Utilities presents a frightening situation for public health in Chester. Second, DELCORA has a long history of violations and compliance issues and is in need of massive capital improvements. While Aqua claims these repairs will be made in the future, the recent acquisition of over a billion dollars in debt casts serious doubt on the company’s capacity to complete the capital improvements needed to protect the residents of Chester from air and water pollution. It is absolutely reckless to privatize an already dysfunctional, polluting facility in an already greatly impacted environmental justice community. Selling this public facility to a private natural gas company is a major step in the wrong direction that will likely lead to less oversight and further violations. Delaware County opposes the privatization of the county’s waste treatment, and has filed a complaint to block the sale. The Pennsylvania’s Public Utility Commission (PUC) as of yet has also refused to approve the sale. Yet Aqua Pennsylvania has proceeded with its permit transfer application with DEP regardless, and an opportunity for public comment on this proposed permit transfer expires Tuesday May 4th. Please click here to tell the DEP to deny this proposed permit transfer in order to protect public health in Chester City. Chester residents have long been subject to environmental negligence at this and other local incinerators and the privatization of DELCORA will further decrease much-needed governmental oversight of this facility. |
