Schuylkill County has enough landfills.

So says a resident of Porter Township and also the Schuylkill County Commissioners.

Shirley Wagner of Joliet told the commissioners at their work session Thursday morning that a new landfill proposed isn’t needed.

Joliet is in the western end of the county, which has been plagued by bad odors in recent months.

Wagner reasoned that another landfill is not needed because the existing landfills are fulfilling the needs for the county’s waste disposal. She said county residents generate 455 tons of waste per day, while the CES/DeNaples landfill near Hegins has the capacity to take in 500 tons per day, and the Blythe Recycling and Demolition Site landfill near Saint Clair has a capacity of 1,500 tons per day.

“How can you justify another landfill out our way?” Wagner asked.

The commissioners agreed.

“We are fine the way we are,” said Commissioner Chairman Larry Padora.

“I’m not in favor of it,” said Commissioner Barron “Boots” Hetherington.

Commissioner Gary Hess said many of the old landfills that are now closed were not lined — making them more dangerous to the environment.

“We have plenty of capacity now,” Hess said. “I don’t see the addition of one at this time. It would go before county zoning.”

The possibility of a new landfill was listed under new business on the agenda of July 24 meeting of the Reilly Township supervisors.

Emergency training building

Meanwhile, the commissioners discussed the new emergency services training building.

They will consider approving a contract with Y Kim Architects for design, bidding and construction oversight for the new building for $249,000 during their meeting this week.

County Administrator Gary Bender said the contract will be the second phase of the project. The first phase was an environmental study of the proposed site for the building in Frackville. That feasibility study cost the county $14,400.

The study of the Frackville site, Bender said, came back positive. Now, Y Kim will design and build the new facility.