Keystone Sanitary Landfill granted temporary operating permit extension

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has issued a temporary 6-month extension of Keystone Sanitary Landfill’s (KSL) existing operating permit.

DEP says this is not a renewal of the operating permit, and this action will only extend KSL’s existing operating permit until Oct. 6, 2025.

The extension will allow time for DEP to evaluate the KSL renewal application considering a recent Pennsylvania Environmental Hearing Board (EHB) decision issued April 1, 2025, regarding the appeal of KSL’s Phase III Expansion. The department will also consider the effectiveness of KSL’s odor control and leachate management measures that were required under a March 29, 2024, consent order and agreement. DEP says KSL submitted a timely application for renewal, which was accepted for review by the department in April of 2024.

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DEP recently received a ruling from the EHB regarding the appeal of KSL’s 2021 permit to expand the landfill, which identified operation issues that Keystone is required to mitigate, such as odor control and leachate storage.

The landfill, located in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, was issued a notice of violation (NOV) in December 2023 for failure to control odors at the facility. Similarly, KSL received another NOV from DEP in January 2024 for failing to control odors from leachate lagoons at the landfill.