Whitehall Township Mayor Edward D. Hozza Jr. recently learned the appeal to the state over a permit granted by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to Coplay Aggregates to dump regulated fill into a dry quarry - located between North Coplay and Stiles - won’t be heard until mid 2017.

According to Hozza, township Engineer Frank Clark said the appeal is not expected to be slated for a hearing until June or July. The mayor said he has no further information regarding the delay.

Meanwhile, a constant stream of tri-axle trucks, many from out of state, haul the fill on a daily basis to Coplay Aggregates’ site off Beekmantown Road.

Frustrating to the administration and board of commissioners is that a permit from the township is not needed; regulated fill is under DEP control. The company must analyze what arrives and is dumped and report it to the DEP to ensure state regulations are met.

Commissioners, during a special meeting in July 2015, gave township Solicitor Charles Fonzone the green light to proceed with an appeal to Harrisburg. Whitehall Township bases its appeal that no public hearing was held on the issue, which prohibited any comments regarding dumping of regulated fill, and answers the township sought from the DEP to its inquiry were not forthcoming.

Regulated fill is defined by the DEP as soil, rock, stone, dredged material, used asphalt, historic fill, brick, concrete from demolition or construction work and block.

The township has an earlier inspection report from the state showing debris and medical waste have been dumped at the quarry.

Township officials were told by the company that it was an isolated incident, Hozza said.

Commissioner Linda Snyder called DEP’s action “disgraceful.”

President Phillips Armstrong said then the DEP seemed to bypass the township completely.

Hozza said previously the township wanted to know what materials were in the fill, the origin of the fill, what can be built at the site once the quarry is filled and the kind of remediation plans in place if hazardous material are found dumped there.