On Monday the Whitehall Township Board of Commissioners granted National Plastics Corp. conditional approval to move its plastics recycling operations to a portion of the former Tarkett USA flooring building on Lehigh Avenue.

The vote came after three hours of testimony and a barrage of questions and concerns by residents living near the plant.

It was the third hearing held by the commissioners on Munish Suri's plans to move his Palmer Township plastic recycling company to Whitehall, where he will lease 40,000 square feet of space at 1139 Lehigh Ave., which houses other tenants in the massive building.

The approval from the five commissioners present, however, came with at least 14 conditions the board attached to its approval. The conditions include the company to submit quarterly reports which will be reviewed by the township engineer, costs borne by National Plastics not to exceed $500 annually, Coplay-Whitehall Sewer Authority to inspect floor drains so that no water goes into the river via pipes, noise level evaluations, testing of equipment, unannounced or announced visits by the township engineer, placing no smoking signs and fire suppression systems.

Township commissioners were assured the fire safety system would include the required sprinkler system. The condition was attached due to a July 2011 fire that occurred at its Palmer site.

Board President Linda Snyder in allowing residents to speak multiple times without setting time limits mentioned the seriousness the township is treating the issue before voting.

"We're not playing games," Snyder said, referring to being on the other side of quality-of-life issues, living in Cementon where Lafarge Cement has been given approval to burn tires and plastics. "I've been there. I know what it's all about."

Commissioner Thomas Slonaker spoke of his unannounced visit at Suri's plant in Palmer Township. He said he was more comfortable with noise and dust issues after inspecting the site, saying near one of the machines, the noise was not more than the sound of a grass mower.

Bill Tomko questioned if toxins will be released into the air. After clarifying his answer, Suri replied "no." He said there will be no chemical change in the plastics. There was mention during the meeting that the company does not manufacture any plastic materials.

The company has vendors and takes its scrap plastic, melts it and turns it into flakes or pellets for resale. There are no hazardous materials or chemicals used in the process and no odors would escape the confines of the building. The plant expects to produce 1 million to 1.5 million pounds of flakes. Pellets then are sold to companies that use recycled resins.

Russell Anderson, one of the owners of the Tarkett building, said there is a fire wall separating National Plastics from other firms in the large building. Suri said the company will have 15 employees, working two shifts Mondays through Fridays. The company agreed to comply with township designated truck routes. Up to five trucks a day, perhaps fewer, would come and go from the property.

Suri submitted OSHA reports, ventilation systems, insulation of machines and efforts to quell the sound from an extruder that plastics are being recycled are shaped by melting bands in an extruder that reach very high temperatures.

"We have the right to pull the reins on this," Commissioner Philip Ginder said, if the company fails to comply with the conditions, such as noise.

"I want to get as many stringent conditions as possible. We all want that," Snyder said during the vote to allow National Plastics to move into the township.

"This is a quality-of-life issue," resident Douglas Wiltraut commented in his address to the board.

All materials must be stored in the building, the commissioners said.