lehigh county illegal dump survey 2013

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Illegal Dump Survey2013 Final ReportLehigh County


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Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful empowers Pennsylvanians to

make our communities clean and beautiful and we do this

through our three core focus areas of Prevent It, Clean It, and

Keep It. By engaging volunteers, we extend the reach of our

educational efforts and multiply the impact of our actions.

We believe education is the key to encourage positive

behaviors toward community improvement and that

improving communities, their environment, and quality of life

all begins with personal responsibility. Since 1990, Keep

Pennsylvania Beautiful has engaged more than 1,511,000

volunteers and over 30,000 communities in keeping

Pennsylvania beautiful. We have properly disposed of over

97,000,000 pounds of littered trash from our communities

and cleaned more than 118,000 miles of roadways, streams,

trails, and greenways. From 2005 through 2013, Keep

Pennsylvania Beautiful performed a county-based illegal

dump survey of the Commonwealth identifying 6,487 illegal

dumpsites containing an estimated 18,516.83 tons of trash.

Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful105 West Fourth Street, Greensburg, PA 15601Phone: 724-836-4121 Toll Free: 877-772-3673Fax: 724-836-1980 www.keeppabeautiful.org


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Lehigh County Illegal Dumpsite Survey2013 Final Report

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful is a nonprofit organization that empowers Pennsylvanians tomake our communities clean and beautiful. Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful illegal dump surveyseducate state, county, and local officials about the problem of illegal dumping and provide

valuable data about the dumpsites and the community in which they reside to address theproblem through cleanups, municipal waste collections, recycling programs, education, andenforcement.

Illegal dumpsite identification was completed by driving roads and contacting variousconstituent groups such as municipal offices and community services, state agencies, andenvironmental and conservation groups in the area. Limitations of the survey process includedpoor visibility in high growth areas and surveyors not accessing private lands or highcrime/high risk areas. Due to these limitations, it is likely that there were additional dumpsitesnot accounted for in this report. Farm dumps and private dumps were not included in thesurvey. The survey process is to document sites where landowners have been the victim of

illegal dumping from other parties, not sites where they have been doing the dumpingthemselves, or past owners did the dumping.

There were 16 dumpsites identified containing an estimated 32.5 tons of trash. Ninety-fourpercent of the sites were determined to be active and 44% of the sites were located in a ruralarea. Of 25 municipalities in Lehigh County, twenty municipalities have mandatory trashcollection. Twenty-five of the municipalities (100%) within Lehigh County have a curbsiderecycling program in their community while fifteen municipalities (60%) have access to arecycling drop off program. Five municipalities (20%) have illegal dumping activity. No siteswere located in municipalities without a curbside recycling program.

One, or 6%, of the surveyed sites were in the vicinity (50 feet and within) of some sort ofwaterway or body of water. This site had waste materials directly in the waterway itself. Ofthe items inventoried at each dumpsite assessed, 94% of the sites contained recyclables, 88%contained construction and demolition waste, 81% had tires, yard waste or household trash, and69% had bagged trash or household hazardous waste. There were a total of 105 tires itemized,however those account only for tires visible at time of surveying. Many more tires are assumedto be present under buried trash or leaf litter. Recyclables are defined as steel, bi-metallic, andaluminum cans, glass, plastic bottles and containers, newspaper, magazines, cardboard, etc.


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TABLE OF CONTENTS

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ........................................................................................................... iBACKGROUND .......................................................................................................................... 1PURPOSE OF ILLEGAL DUMP SURVEYS ............................................................................. 1IMPACTS OF ILLEGAL DUMPING.......................................................................................... 1SURVEY METHOD .................................................................................................................... 2

DEFINITION OF AN ILLEGAL DUMPSITE ...................................................................................... 2SITE IDENTIFICATION AND ASSESSMENT.................................................................................... 3LIMITATIONS.............................................................................................................................. 3FARM/PRIVATE DUMPING .......................................................................................................... 4

LEHIGH COUNTY ILLEGAL DUMPSITE SURVEY AREA AND RESULTS ...................... 4SURVEY AREA ........................................................................................................................... 4SITE CHARACTERISTICS ............................................................................................................. 5IMPACTS ON WATERWAYS ......................................................................................................... 6WASTE CHARACTERISTICS......................................................................................................... 6

POSSIBLE CAUSES AND SOLUTIONS ................................................................................... 6POSSIBLE CAUSES ...................................................................................................................... 6POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS................................................................................................................. 7

SUMMARY .................................................................................................................................. 8ATTACHMENTS

#1 Lehigh County Illegal Dumpsites and Municipalities Map

#2 Lehigh County Illegal Dumpsites and Population Density Map

#3 Lehigh County Illegal Dumpsites and Environmental Features Map#4 Illegal Dumpsite and Trash Collection by Municipality

#5 Illegal Dumpsite Survey Site Characteristics by Municipality

#6 Illegal Dumpsite Survey Waste Characteristics by Municipality

#7 Illegal Dumpsite Survey Summary Chart by County


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BACKGROUND

Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful is a nonprofit organization that empowers Pennsylvanians tomake our communities clean and beautiful. Since 1990, Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful hashelped people who are ready to take action against these destructive problems. By partnering

with county and local officials, concerned residents, and community organizations, tangibleresults can be seen within a community through:

organization of illegal dump and litter cleanups, adoption of local areas, prevention of future dumping by the watchful eyes of volunteer monitors, placement of physical deterrents, and, enforcement action when needed.

Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful educates the public about proper waste disposal, recycling, andpractical alternatives to dumping and littering through the dissemination of literature,presentations, and coordination of collection events for hard-to-dispose of items.

PURPOSE OF ILLEGAL DUMP SURVEYS

The purpose of the illegal dump survey was to assess and document as many illegal dumpsitesas possible within the county. Illegal dumping mostly occurs in remote and secluded places,rural areas where few people live and the roads are less traveled. However, for many peoplewho are residents of an urban area, an illegal dump can often be found within a one-mile radiusof their home. Illegal dumping, within an urban context, has its own set of uniquecharacteristics. Overall, very few people are aware of the widespread problem of illegaldumping.

The first step in developing an action plan against illegal dumping in a community is todetermine the extent of the illegal dumping problem. Once sites are identified, assessed, andmapped, the data gathered can be used to:

show that a problem does indeed exist, prioritize the sites and areas for cleanup and abatement, document problem materials within the dumpsites and develop plans for proper

disposal, and,

provide a benchmark to measure cleanup progress.The survey is also a tool that can be used for planning purposes within the community. It can

provide valuable insight into the development and enhancement of solid waste and recyclingprograms. It can also be used to gain support for funding for public awareness programs andeducation, as well as to generate funds to clean the existing dumpsites.

IMPACTS OF ILLEGAL DUMPING

Illegal dumping poses a direct threat to the health and safety of humans and animals. Illegaldumping attracts disease-spreading rodents and mosquitoes by giving them a place to live and


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breed. West Nile Virus, carried by mosquitoes, has been a primary concern for environmentalofficials. Illegal dumps also can be a source of physical injury for humans and animals due tobroken glass, rusty metals, and toxic substances.

Recently, a new threat has been added to illegal dumping. Methamphetamine labs, used to

produce the illegal drug crystal meth, are becoming more and more common. The materialsused to make the illegal drug are tossed along the roadsides in illegal dumps and are extremelytoxic.

Environmentally, illegal dumping pollutes our soil, surface, and groundwater supplies, as wellas the air we breathe if a site catches on fire. The emissions released by the burning plasticsand household hazardous waste can be extremely toxic. It is also aesthetically unpleasing andruins the beauty of natural areas, including many public places such as community parks andstate forests, parks, and game lands.

Economically, illegal dumps are expensive to clean up. Government agencies spend millions

annually on cleanup efforts. The estimated cost to clean up a site can be anywhere from $600to over $1,000 per ton for clean up and removal.

1

Illegal dumpsites can also impact property values, can be a liability for property owners, andaffect property purchases and transfers. Tourism revenue can also be affected by illegal dumps,which project to tourists that trash is not a concern of the community or the persons livingthere.

Illegal dumping also has social impacts on an area. When illegal dumping in neighborhoodsand communities becomes status quo, quality of life is impacted and low-level property crimeoften increases.2 This is what is referred to as the broken window theory developed

originally by James Q. Wilson and George Kelling. The "broken window theory suggests thatneighborhood strategies help to deter and reduce crime by the fast clean up of illegally dumpeditems, litter, and spilled garbage, and by the prompt removal of disposed of items.3

SURVEY METHOD

Definition of an Illegal Dumpsite

One of the primary goals of an illegal dump survey is to ultimately address the trash in ourcommunities; therefore, the following were considered illegal dumpsites and included in thesurvey:

Areas of concentrated trash, Areas of scattered trash that:

are not considered roadside litter (bottles, fast food wrappers, cans, etc.)

1 PA CleanWays averaged cost from multiple cleanups throughout 2004 & 2005.2 Wilson, James Q., Kelling, George L., Broken Windows, Atlantic Monthly, March 1982.3 Henry G. Cisneros, Defensible Space: Deterring Crime and Building Community, January 1995.


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appear to have new trash thrown on them occasionally (more than twicea year)

appear to have new trash thrown on them occasionally, but cleanupmaintenance is prevalent to prevent accumulation,

Areas containing only piles of yard waste (grass, leaves, branches, trees, etc.). Thesesites can often attract the dumping of other materials and can grow into majordumpsites, and,

Areas containing isolated or solitary items, such as 1 or 2 appliances or tires that may ormay not be dumped on in the future.

Site Identification and Assessment

Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful has learned through its experiences that, to effectively identifyillegal dumpsites in an area, it is necessary to physically travel the roadways. By focusing onhigh probability areas for dump locations such as pull-offs, roads with hillsides, etc., efficientsurveying can be done on large areas within a short amount of time.

Preliminary data gathering was conducted by sending a letter to every municipality within thecounty concerning the survey project. The letters detailed the survey purpose and plan, andasked for known illegal dumpsites to be reported back to Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful. Letterswere also sent to environmental groups interested in conservation of this area, as well as tostate agencies such as the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, PennsylvaniaDepartment of Conservation and Natural Resources, the Pennsylvania Game Commission, andthe Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission. Follow up phone calls were made to eachmunicipality prior to beginning assessments in its area.

Once an illegal dumpsite was located, characteristics about the site itself were recorded anddocumented on standard forms (a copy of the Illegal Dump Survey Assessment Form and

Instruction Sheet are available by contacting Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful). Pictures were alsotaken of the illegal dumpsites to further document the problem. GPS coordinates wererecorded for each site in order to produce illegal dumpsite maps within the county based onmunicipalities, population density, and environmental features (see Attachments 1, 2, and 3).

Limitations

The primary limitation with road surveys is that they only permit discovery of sites visible fromthe public right-of-way, therefore, only those sites were assessed by Keep PennsylvaniaBeautiful. Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful did not enter private property to assess sites. It can bepresumed that there are significant numbers of illegal dumpsites out of sight on private propertywith limited access. Because safety considerations were a priority for this project, areas were

not assessed in high crime/risk areas. Most surveying began after the foliage had thinned in thefall and visibility improved, however, some site assessments were limited due to highvegetation and snowfall.

Similar to dense foliage or snow cover, another limitation to the survey is estimating theamount of waste that lies underneath the waterline. As is reported, one of the sites had wastematerials directly in a waterway. There is no way to estimate the amount of waste that liesunderneath the waterline thus these estimates could be low.


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Due to cleanup efforts after surveying occurred, some sites in this report may no longer bepresent.

Farm/Private Dumping

While Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful strives to include as many illegal dumpsites in each countyas possible, there are two types of dumpsites we do not include in our reports; farm dumps andprivate dumps. The survey process is to document sites where landowners have been thevictim of illegal dumping from other parties, not sites where they have been doing the dumpingthemselves, or past owners did the dumping.

Farm dumping is still in practice today, although not to the extent it was decades ago.Typically, there was not a disposal plan in place for many areas in the state, therefore farmersdisposed of their household garbage, empty chemical containers, yard waste, and otherunneeded materials somewhere on their property. A majority of todays farmers have

unfortunately inherited farm dumps on their properties, although some continue the practice tosave money and time. Increased public awareness of environmental issues caused by anydumpsites has shed light on the reasons not to continue to use farm dumps. Withoutregulations or enforcement in place to stop it, farm dumping is still an issue in Pennsylvaniaand many other agricultural states in the U.S. To learn more about how farmers can clean theirown dumps and the legalities of farm dumping, contact the Penn State University Agricultural& Biological Engineering Extension at 814-865-7685.4

Private dumpsites, ones that are put on the property by the owners, are also not included. Theseinclude sites such as stockpiles of scrap, yard waste, household trash, and other things you mayfind in an illegal dumpsite. Usually these sites are determined private by its proximity to a

residence, or marked private with no trespassing signs. There are many times when thesurveyor is not able to distinguish between a private site and an illegal dumpsite. In these cases,the site is surveyed and sent to the Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful office where, based on the datagathered and photos taken, it is determined whether to include it in the final report as an illegaldumpsite. If a dumpsite in a published report is found to be a farm or private dumpsite, the siteis immediately removed from the report.

LEHIGH COUNTY ILLEGAL DUMPSITE SURVEY AREA AND RESULTS

Survey Area

Lehigh County encompasses 345.17 square miles and is located in the east central part of

Pennsylvania. The county is bordered by Carbon County to the north, Northampton County tothe east, Bucks County to the southeast, Montgomery County to the south, Berks County to thesouthwest, and Schuylkill County to the west. The county has three major watersheds withinits boundaries, including Maiden Creek Watershed, Perkiomen Watershed, and Lower LehighRiver Watershed.

4 Garthe, J. W. & Shufran, J. L. (1997). Farm Dumps: Problems and Solutions. Penn State Agricultural andBiological Engineering. Retrieved from http://www.abe.psu.edu/extension/factsheets/c/C28.pdf.


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According to the most recent data from the United States Census Bureau, the census recordedthe population of Lehigh County as 355,245. The median household income is $50,737. Theper capita income is $40,890. The percentage of individuals below poverty status is 14.1%,while 11.4% of families are below poverty status. The national average is 15.9% for

individuals and 11.7% for families. The percent of high school graduates or higher is 84.9%,which is lower than the state average of 88.6%.

Lehigh County was separated from Northampton County by an act of Assembly passed the 6thof March, 1812. Lehigh County is located in the area known as the Lehigh Valley, with thecity of Allentown as its county seat. Lehigh County is positioned in the corridor betweenPhiladelphia and New York City with quick and easy access to both of these majormetropolitan areas.

The county is comprised of urban, suburban, and rural areas including rolling hills of over18,000 acres of preserved farmland and a network of more than 17,000 acres of outdoor

recreational parks, including the Trexler Nature Preserve, that offer extensive leisureopportunities.

There is also one state forest in Lehigh County, William Penn State Forest, that providesrecreation and tourism revenue.

Industries providing employment include educational, health, and social services (21.1%),manufacturing (20.2%), and the retail trade (11.9%).

In Pennsylvania, municipal solid waste (msw) includes municipal waste, sewage sludge,construction and demolition waste, asbestos, and ash. In Lehigh County, twenty municipalities

mandate trash collection and twenty-five of Lehigh Countys municipalities (100%) have acurbside recycling program within their community. There are fifteen municipalities (60%)with access to drop off locations. Five municipalities (20%) have illegal dumping activity. Nosites were located in municipalities without a curbside recycling program (see Attachment 4).In 2009, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, LehighCounty reported a total of 310,993.2 tons of municipal solid waste generated. Additionally,261,796.1 tons of materials were recycled. While these numbers are the most recent availablefor this report, recycling rates fluctuate due to the economy, program availability, and manyother factors; thus, this rate may not reflect the current recycling rate in the county. The countyhas an msw generation rate of 0.88 tons per person per year. The national average is 0.79 tonsper person per year.

Site Characteristics

The Lehigh County survey resulted in the identification of sixteen illegal dumpsites totaling anestimated 32.5 tons of trash. The sites ranged in size from approximately 0.5 tons to 5 tons ofwaste. A chart of Site Characteristics by Municipality can be found as Attachment 5 of thisreport.


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Of the sixteen dump sites, 44% were in rural areas. The terrain of Lehigh County is somewhathilly. Hillsides provide illegal dumpers with a convenient place for easy unloading. Ninety-four percent of the sites were considered to be a continuous problem where dumping occursroutinely. Four sites (25%) had No Dumping signs present. All of these were active sites.Signs, although effective in some areas, often send a message that this is a safe place to

dump. In some county surveys, the presence of signs resulted in the identification of sites thatwere not visible from the road. Concerning visibility, 69% of the sites were visible and 25%were partly visible from the road. This fact lends itself to the theory that illegally dumped trashwill attract more trash.

Impacts on Waterways

Of all the illegal dumpsites, those posing the most direct and obvious threat to the environmentwere located in or near waterways. One, or 6%, of the surveyed sites were in the vicinity (50feet and within) of some sort of waterway or body of water. This site had waste materialsdirectly in the waterway itself (see Attachment 5). It should, however, be noted that all illegaldumps contaminate our water supply.

Waste Characteristics

Lehigh County illegal dumpsites contained a variety of waste types. In some areas, thecommon presence of a waste type may indicate the need for a refuse/recycling program for thatparticular material. None of the dumpsites found were located in a municipality without acurbside recycling program. Of the items inventoried at each dumpsite assessed, 94% of thesites contained recyclables, 88% contained construction and demolition waste, 81% had tires,yard waste or household trash, and 69% had bagged trash or household hazardous waste. Therewere a total of 105 tires itemized, however those account only for tires visible at time ofsurveying. Many more tires are assumed to be present under buried trash or leaf litter.Recyclables are defined as steel, bi-metallic, and aluminum cans, glass, plastic bottles and

containers, newspaper, magazines, cardboard, etc. A chart of the Waste Characteristics byMunicipality can be found as Attachment 6, as well as a chart showing Illegal DumpsiteCharacteristics Summary by County as Attachment 7 of this report.

POSSIBLE CAUSES AND SOLUTIONS

Illegal dumping occurs in every county of the state. There are a multitude of reasons andexcuses why people dump: the cost or inconvenience of proper disposal; the lack of, orfrustration in, finding proper disposal options; lack of public education; profit making; theresult of other criminal activity or malicious mischief.

Possible Causes

Municipal curbside trash collection is unavailableBecause it is not mandated by the state, trash collection options are dependenton the city or municipal government. As many rural and small-townmunicipalities lack funding for mandatory trash collection, it is up to theresident to pay for trash collection. Communities that depend on privatesubscription for waste collection services have reported greater dumpingproblems. Inherent inefficiencies and associated higher costs exist in almost all


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private subscription systems because trucks must travel long distances betweencustomers.5

Recycling programs are unavailable or inconvenientAct 101 dictates that all communities with populations over 10,000, and densely

populated municipalities between 5,000 and 10,000, have recycling programs.Communities that fall outside of these parameters must pay for recycling ontheir own. Depending on the county, many or all of these communities donthave funding to support a curbside recycling program. Curbside recyclingcommunities have reported a lower incidence of residential waste accumulationproblems and a slightly lower incidence of dumping problems.5

Disposal of Construction and Demolition debris (C&D)C&D debris is a serious solid waste management issue because of the amountthat is generated each year, along with the lack of convenient and or affordabledisposal options available. C&D debris is often found in illegal dumps and

creates a compounded problem because some of the materials may behazardous, such as wood that has been chemically treated or painted with leadbased paint, insulation containing asbestos, or shingles.

Shortage of enforcementUnfortunately, many communities cannot devote people and resources toeffectively deal with illegal dumping. As a result, dumpers do not fearprosecution and have no reason to stop their habits.

EducationIllegal dumping has been a learned habit for many. Prior to anti dumpinglaws, it was common practice to use open town dumps, burn or bury trash, ordump in a convenient out of the way area. Today we know the harmful effectsfrom illegal dumping. Education is key to diminish the habits learned and teachthe public proper and safe disposal practices.

Possible Solutions Organize a cleanup

Cleanups are an effective way to combat littering and illegal dumping.Cleanups help to build ownership, restore community pride, and send a messagethat dumping will no longer be tolerated.

Organize a special collection eventSpecial one-day collection events are worthwhile. These special collectionopportunities are very effective when routinely offered, such as each spring orfall as a community cleanup day, but are also successful when offered ascommunity resources permit. These special collections commonly target hard-

5 PA CleanWays and PROP, Factors Influencing Illegal Dumping in Pennsylvania Communities Spring 2001.6 PA CleanWays and PROP, Factors Influencing Illegal Dumping in Pennsylvania Communities Spring 2001.


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to-dispose of materials such as tires, appliances, scrap metal, computers,electronics, and household hazardous waste. Most of these items account forwhat is found in illegal dumps.

Physical deterrentsThe placing of guard rails or mounds of dirt at pull-off areas, as well as theplanting of trees, can help provide a barrier that will limit accessibility to a sitefor future dumping.

Site monitoring and maintenanceIt is important to monitor a site after an area has been cleaned in order to watchfor subsequent dumping or littering, to keep the site clean, and to report anyincriminating evidence to the proper enforcement agency. Keeping the siteclean makes it easier to spot new trash and discourages subsequent dumping,since trash attracts trash.

Enforcement, with site monitor support, effectively decreases the incidents ofdumping and littering. When word gets out that dumping activity will not betolerated and violators will be caught and prosecuted, dumping decreases.

Community educationIntentional illegal dumping and littering are social problems that require a shiftin attitudes and practices. Education is the key to changing values, habits, andattitudes. Education programs should be tailored to inform the community andcan take many forms, such as, school/community presentations, press releases,radio and newspaper ads, and publications.

Enforcement of existing lawsAny improper disposal of trash is illegal and violators can be prosecuted.Numerous Pennsylvania agencies enforce laws addressing improper disposal oftrash. The Pennsylvania General Assembly creates and enacts our littering anddumping laws.

7County and municipal governments create and enact ordinances

that are specific within their local boundaries.

SUMMARY

This survey accounted for 16 illegal dumpsites in Lehigh County consisting of an estimated32.5 tons of trash. This is not a comprehensive survey of the entire county as it is expected that

there are many more illegal dumpsites on private lands and farms, as well as ones on publiclands that have gone undetected. However, the documentation and assessment of these 16 sitesin Lehigh County is a strong step forward in the fight against illegal dumping in Pennsylvania.By providing the needed data to address the problem of illegal dumping, constituents can begindoing so through public policy, resource allocation, community education, and cleanups.

7 Read about the Pennsylvania Code at www.pacode.com.


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Lehigh County, PennsylvaniaIllegal Dumpsites and Municipalities

May 2013

Attachment

2013 Keep Pennsylvania BeautifulMap Prepared by Caesar deChicchis

UCSUR, University of Pittsburgh

LYNNE

HEIDELBERG

WASHINGTON

SLATINGTON

WEISENBERG

LOWHILL

NORTHWHITEHALL

WHITEHALL

COPLAY

UPPERMACUNGIE

SOUTH WHITEHALL

CATASAUQUA

HANOVER

BETHLEHEM

FOUNTAIN HILL

SALISBURY

UPPER SAUCON

COOPERSBURGLOWER

MILFORD

UPPERMILFORD

EMMAUS

MACUNGIE

ALBURTIS

11

16

1514

12 13

510

LOWERMACUNGIE

6

9

ALLEN-TOWN

7

132 4

8

Legend

") Illegal dumpsites as of 5-17-13


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Lehigh County, PennsylvaniaIllegal Dumpsites and Population Density

May 2013

Attachment

2013 Keep Pennsylvania BeautifulMap Prepared by Caesar deChicchisUCSUR, University of Pittsburgh

LYNNE

HEIDELBERG

WASHINGTON

SLATINGTON

WEISENBERG

LOWHILL

NORTHWHITEHALL

WHITEHALL

COPLAY

UPPERMACUNGIE

SOUTH WHITEHALL

CATASAUQUA

HANOVER

BETHLEHEM

FOUNTAIN HILL

SALISBURY

UPPER SAUCON

COOPERSBURGLOWER

MILFORD

UPPERMILFORD

EMMAUS

MACUNGIE

ALBURTIS

11

16

1514

12 13

510

Population Density by Municipality

People per sq. mile

less than 400

401 - 800

801 - 1200

1201 - 2400

2401 - 4800

greater than 4800


9

671 8

3

2 4

LOWERMCGUNGIE

ALLEN-TOWN


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Lehigh County, PennsylvaniaIllegal Dumpsites and Environmental Features

May 2013

Attachment

2013 Keep Pennsylvania BeautifulMap Prepared by Caesar deChicchisUCSUR, University of Pittsburgh

11

16

1514

12 13

5

10

9

671 83

2 4

Lower Lehigh River

Maiden Creek

PerkiomenCreek

Environmental Features


Waterways

Watersheds

State Gamelands


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At tachment

Illegal Dumpsites and Trash Collection by Municipality **

Municipality Illegal Dumpsites Calculated Tons* Mandatory Trash

Collection

Curbside Recycl ing Drop Off Recycl

Alburtis Borough 0 0 X XAllentown City 9 21.5 X X X

Bethlehem City 1 2 X X XCatasauqua Borough 0 0 X XCoopersburg Borough 0 0 X XCoplay Borough 0 0 X XEmmaus Borough 0 0 X XFountain Hill Borough 0 0 X XHanover Township 0 0 X XHeidelberg Township 0 0 X XLower Macungie Township 0 0 X X XLower Milford Township 0 0 X XLowhill Township 0 0 XLynn Township 1 1 X XMacungie Borough 0 0 X XNorth Whitehall Township 3 4 X X XSalisbury Township 0 0 X X XSlatington Borough 0 0 X XSouth Whitehall Township 0 0 X X X

Upper Macungie Township 0 0 X X XUpper Milford Township 0 0 X X XUpper Saucon Township 0 0 X X XWashington Township 2 4 X X XWeisenberg Township 0 0 X XWhitehall Township 0 0 X X XTwentypercent of Lehigh County's municipalities have illegal dumping activity.

Twenty of Lehigh County's m unicipalities have mandatory trash collection.

All of L ehig h County 's m uni cip alit ies has a cu rbs ide r ecyc ling pr ogr am.

None of the sites were located in municipalites withou t a curbside recycling p rogram.

*Quantities assessed at time of survey were estimates based on what was visible.

**Information concerning mandatory trash collection, curbside recycling, and drop off recycling is deemed correct at time of printing and cannot be guaranteed due to chan

in ordinances and funding in each individual municipality. Data was provided by the County of Lehigh.


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Municipality

SiteNumbe

r

Site Name

CalculatedTo

ns

Demographics

Distancefrom

Waterway

Lehigh County IDS Site Characteristics by Municipality*

Allentown City 0001Albert Street 1.5 Urban More than 100 ft

Allentown City 0002Aubrun Street 1 Urban More than 100 ft

Allentown City 0003Basin Street 2 Urban In Waterway/Wetland P

Allentown City 0004Constitution Drive 5 Urban More than 100 ft P

Allentown City 0005East Columbia Street 1 Urban No waterway nearby

Allentown City 0006Meadow Street 5 Urban 50 to 100 ft

Allentown City 0007North Bradford Street 1.5 Urban 50 to 100 ft

Allentown City 0008River Road 4 Urban More than 100 ft

Allentown City 0009West Union Street 0.5 Urban No waterway nearby

Bethlehem City 0010Round Street 2 Rural No waterway nearby

Lynn Township 0011Bachman Road 1 Rural No waterway nearbyNorth Whitehall Township 0012Coffeetown Road 1 Rural 50 to 100 ft P

North Whitehall Township 0013Hill Street 2 Rural More than 100 ft

North Whitehall Township 0014Riverview Road 1 Rural No Waterway Nearby

Washington Township 0015Riverview Road 1.5 Rural More than 100 ft P

Washington Township 0016Scout House Road 2.5 Rural No waterway nearby

Total Number of Sites: 16 Total Calculated Tons: 32.50

* Characteristics assessed at time of survey were based on what was visible.


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Municipality Site Name

SiteNumber

Calculated

Tons

BaggedTrash

Household

Trash

Recyclables

HHW

CleanFill

C

DWaste

Lehigh County Illegal Dump Survey Waste Characteristics by Municip

Tires

Allentown City Albert Street 0001 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Y1.5 2

Allentown City Aubrun Street 0002 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Y1 2

Allentown City Basin Street 0003 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes N2 12

Allentown City Constitution Drive 0004 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Y5 4

Allentown City East Columbia Street 0005 No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Y1 20

Allentown City Meadow Street 0006 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Y5 19

Allentown City North Bradford Street 0007 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Y1.5 15

Allentown City River Road 0008 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Y4 8

Allentown City West Union Street 0009 Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Y0.5 0

Bethlehem City Round Street 0010 Yes No Yes No No Yes Y2 1

Lynn Township Bachman Road 0011 No No No No No Yes Y1 2North Whitehall Township Coffeetown Road 0012 No Yes Yes No No No Y1 15

North Whitehall Township Hill Street 0013 No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Y2 1

North Whitehall Township Riverview Road 0014 Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes N1 0

Washington Township Riverview Road 0015 Yes Yes Yes No No No N1.5 4

Washington Township Scout House Road 0016 No Yes Yes No No Yes Y2.5 0

Total Number of Sites: 16 Total Calculated Tons: 32.50

* Characteristics assessed at time of survey were based on what was visible.


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Illegal Dumpsite Characteristics Summary Chart by County*

At tachment 7

Dumpsite Characteristics

Adams

Allegheny

Armstrong

Beaver

Bedford

Berks

Blair

Bradford

Bucks

Butler

Total Sites Surveyed 116 202 176 120 128 100 116 74 123 217

Estimated Tons 218 344 585 333 870 185 168 116 223 317

Location Demographics

Rural 94% 15% 99% 93% 90% 73% 82% 100% 12% 88%

Suburban 6% 70% 1% 5% 10% 25% 15% 0% 85% 11%

Urban 0% 15% 0% 2% 0% 2% 3% 0% 3% 1%

Visible from Road

Yes 35% 62% 37% 30% 70% 63% 45% 70% 59% 60%

No 22% 11% 11% 34% 7% 10% 30% 6% 9% 6%

Partial 42% 27% 52% 36% 23% 27% 25% 24% 32% 34%

Distance from Waterway

Directly In

Waterway/Wetlands 9% 24% 14% 22% 6% 7% 22% 16% 15% 16%

Within 50 Feet and/or Directly

in Waterway/Wetlands 35% 45% 32% 40% 22% 37% 33% 30% 30% 27%

Over 50 Feet or No Waterway 65% 55% 68% 60% 78% 63% 67% 70% 70% 73%

Road Type

State 22% 37% 8% 11% 24% 18% 35% 14% 12% 3%

Municipal/County 64% 49% 90% 81% 73% 81% 63% 86% 85% 97%

Forest/Park 13% 0% 1% 8% 0% 1% 0% 0% 0% 0%

Private/Undetermined 1% 14% 1% 0% 3% 0% 2% 0% 3% 0%Terrain

Flat 65% 52% 10% 18% 24% 30% 23% 16% 27% 15%

Gently Sloped 22% 22% 20% 19% 31% 24% 34% 18% 41% 29%

Medium Sloped 10% 14% 28% 30% 18% 28% 18% 36% 19% 33%

Steep 3% 12% 52% 33% 27% 18% 24% 30% 13% 23%

* Sites in Philadelphia County were not assessed unless they were estimated at 0.5 tons or more.


20/26


At tachment 7


Total Sites Surveyed

Estimated Tons


Rural

Suburban

Urban

Visible from Road

Yes

No

Partial


Directly In

Waterway/Wetlands


in Waterway/Wetlands

Over 50 Feet or No Waterway

Road Type

State

Municipal/County

Forest/Park

Private/UndeterminedTerrain

Flat

Gently Sloped

Medium Sloped

Steep

Cambria

Cameron

Carbon

Centre

Chester

Clarion

Clearfield

Clinton

Columbia

Crawford

203 6 49 56 33 102 112 50 39 82

254 18 127 128 38 263 324 65 382 115

87% 100% 94% 96% 64% 100% 98% 100% 100% 95%

13% 0% 2% 4% 27% 0% 1% 0% 0% 5%

0% 0% 4% 0% 9% 0% 1% 0% 0% 0%

61% 17% 31% 73% 49% 52% 38% 18% 85% 48%

7% 83% 4% 7% 6% 13% 21% 56% 2% 33%

32% 0% 65% 20% 45% 35% 41% 26% 13% 19%

13% 0% 22% 5% 21% 6% 11% 14% 12% 6%

27% 17% 29% 16% 42% 15% 27% 72% 32% 43%

73% 83% 71% 13% 58% 85% 73% 28% 68% 57%

13% 67% 39% 18% 18% 6% 21% 20% 13% 6%

86% 33% 59% 67% 82% 93% 77% 46% 87% 93%

0% 0% 2% 13% 0% 1% 0% 34% 0% 1%

1% 0% 0% 2% 0% 0% 2% 0% 0% 0%

38% 0% 37% 32% 33% 12% 15% 18% 23% 28%

26% 33% 23% 27% 24% 26% 23% 32% 41% 28%

28% 17% 20% 20% 21% 27% 44% 36% 23% 24%

8% 50% 20% 21% 21% 34% 18% 14% 13% 20%



21/26


At tachment 7



Estimated Tons


Rural

Suburban

Urban

Visible from Road

Yes

No

Partial


Directly In

Waterway/Wetlands




Road Type

State

Municipal/County

Forest/Park


Flat

Gently Sloped

Medium Sloped

Steep

Cumberlan

d

Dauphin

Delaware

Elk

Erie

Fayette

Forest

Franklin

Fulton

Greene

37 138 26 79 83 163 15 128 19 49

132 468 84 119 121 736 64 181 169 450

78% 61% 0% 96% 71% 93% 100% 77% 100% 100%

19% 16% 19% 1% 16% 7% 0% 13% 0% 0%

3% 23% 81% 3% 13% 0% 0% 10% 0% 0%

46% 53% 96% 71% 53% 73% 33% 33% 90% 84%

11% 10% 0% 8% 27% 10% 34% 14% 5% 8%

43% 37% 4% 21% 20% 17% 33% 53% 5% 8%

11% 10% 4% 7% 19% 16% 0% 13% 0% 8%

24% 25% 8% 23% 30% 37% 13% 49% 5% 22%

76% 75% 92% 77% 70% 63% 87% 51% 95% 78%

11% 8% 0% 23% 20% 24% 33% 23% 47% 4%

89% 76% 96% 66% 78% 72% 40% 64% 48% 94%

0% 0% 0% 7% 0% 0% 27% 12% 5% 0%

0% 16% 4% 4% 2% 4% 0% 1% 0% 2%

14% 46% 69% 26% 45% 32% 40% 36% 26% 22%

32% 20% 8% 37% 22% 17% 0% 35% 10% 29%

32% 9% 19% 23% 14% 21% 20% 14% 32% 27%

22% 25% 4% 14% 19% 30% 40% 14% 32% 22%



22/26


At tachment 7



Estimated Tons


Rural

Suburban

Urban

Visible from Road

Yes

No

Partial


Directly In

Waterway/Wetlands




Road Type

State

Municipal/County

Forest/Park


Flat

Gently Sloped

Medium Sloped

Steep

Huntingdo

n

Indiana

Jefferson

Juniata

Lackawanna

Lancaster

Lawrence

Lebanon

Lehigh

Luzerne

202 114 67 49 92 16 31 43 16 159

259 680 541 80 424 74 112 36 33 1723

87% 99% 100% 92% 45% 87% 68% 77% 44% 75%

12% 1% 0% 4% 30% 13% 19% 19% 0% 23%

1% 0% 0% 4% 25% 0% 13% 4% 56% 2%

34% 53% 85% 27% 66% 56% 71% 35% 69% 59%

13% 31% 15% 53% 8% 6% 3% 30% 6% 18%

53% 16% 0% 20% 26% 38% 26% 35% 25% 23%

7% 15% 12% 20% 7% 13% 26% 23% 6% 5%

35% 37% 25% 39% 23% 31% 48% 42% 6% 11%

65% 63% 75% 61% 77% 69% 52% 58% 94% 89%

39% 4% 14% 31% 32% 6% 20% 35% 0% 32%

59% 90% 82% 69% 68% 88% 74% 58% 100% 32%

1% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 3% 2% 0% 0%

1% 6% 4% 0% 0% 6% 3% 5% 0% 36%

22% 25% 54% 8% 47% 44% 32% 40% 19% 40%

31% 20% 25% 31% 15% 19% 19% 16% 19% 32%

26% 28% 9% 24% 13% 25% 23% 23% 37% 17%

21% 27% 12% 37% 25% 12% 26% 21% 25% 11%



23/26


At tachment 7



Estimated Tons


Rural

Suburban

Urban

Visible from Road

Yes

No

Partial


Directly In

Waterway/Wetlands




Road Type

State

Municipal/County

Forest/Park


Flat

Gently Sloped

Medium Sloped

Steep

Lycoming

McKean

Mercer

Mifflin

Monroe

Montgome

ry

Montour

Northampt

on

Northumberland

Perry

50 73 143 31 61 19 7 51 125 105

107 166 154 30 90 17 11 64 1634 107

100% 100% 99% 100% 77% 68% 100% 55% 99% 100%

0% 0% 1% 0% 23% 11% 0% 14% 1% 0%

0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 21% 0% 31% 0% 0%

12% 52% 60% 39% 65% 84% 14% 78% 62% 79%

16% 29% 13% 38% 10% 0% 29% 2% 8% 9%

72% 19% 27% 23% 25% 16% 57% 20% 30% 12%

24% 12% 13% 19% 23% 0% 57% 6% 11% 5%

70% 26% 34% 35% 33% 16% 86% 18% 19% 39%

30% 74% 66% 65% 67% 84% 14% 82% 81% 61%

22% 29% 5% 45% 35% 11% 0% 10% 16% 23%

74% 60% 94% 52% 62% 89% 100% 90% 50% 77%

4% 11% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0%

0% 0% 1% 3% 3% 0% 0% 0% 34% 0%

10% 10% 55% 13% 46% 79% 14% 41% 31% 29%

30% 31% 20% 16% 25% 0% 57% 27% 29% 34%

32% 18% 18% 42% 13% 0% 14% 18% 18% 17%

28% 41% 7% 29% 16% 21% 14% 14% 22% 20%



24/26


At tachment 7



Estimated Tons


Rural

Suburban

Urban

Visible from Road

Yes

No

Partial


Directly In

Waterway/Wetlands




Road Type

State

Municipal/County

Forest/Park


Flat

Gently Sloped

Medium Sloped

Steep

Philadelph

ia

Pike

Pittsburgh

Potter

Schuylkill

Snyder

Somerset

Sullivan

Susquehanna

Tioga

296 15 279 56 74 45 210 6 104 86

559 18 676 78 523 58 543 6 257 102

0% 93% 0% 98% 96% 0% 95% 100% 97% 100%

0% 7% 0% 2% 4% 0% 5% 0% 1% 0%

100% 0% 100% 0% 0% 100% 0% 0% 2% 0%

91% 73% 56% 11% 47% 56% 42% 67% 55% 34%

2% 7% 14% 16% 7% 11% 22% 17% 21% 8%

7% 20% 30% 73% 46% 33% 36% 16% 24% 58%

1% 0% 1% 21% 5% 16% 5% 17% 13% 31%

19% 13% 3% 32% 28% 36% 15% 17% 36% 53%

81% 87% 96% 68% 72% 64% 85% 83% 64% 47%

0% 73% 0% 38% 42% 40% 27% 33% 23% 26%

98% 7% 100% 62% 58% 60% 72% 67% 77% 73%

0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 1% 0% 0% 1%

2% 20% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0%

89% 60% 25% 2% 43% 47% 33% 0% 17% 13%

6% 13% 25% 7% 23% 31% 20% 0% 17% 18%

5% 13% 27% 14% 14% 7% 23% 50% 16% 20%

0% 14% 23% 77% 20% 15% 24% 50% 50% 49%



25/26


At tachment 7



Estimated Tons


Rural

Suburban

Urban

Visible from Road

Yes

No

Partial


Directly In

Waterway/Wetlands




Road Type

State

Municipal/County

Forest/Park


Flat

Gently Sloped

Medium Sloped

Steep

Union

Venango

Warren

Washingto

n

Wayne

Westmoreland

Wyoming

York

21 174 59 126 43 310 14 274

43 386 292 317 72 335 50 263

90% 98% 95% 100% 95% 89% 100% 67%

10% 2% 5% 0% 0% 8% 0% 24%

0% 0% 0% 0% 5% 3% 0% 9%

57% 90% 49% 60% 33% 83% 50% 26%

5% 2% 12% 27% 47% 6% 7% 2%

38% 8% 39% 13% 21% 11% 43% 72%

10% 13% 7% 6% 2% 31% 29% 15%

24% 44% 15% 41% 19% 44% 50% 47%

76% 56% 84% 59% 81% 56% 50% 53%

5% 19% 14% 77% 30% 26% 14% 9%

90% 78% 76% 23% 70% 73% 79% 89%

5% 3% 10% 0% 0% >1% 0% 0%

0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 1% 7% 1%

29% 26% 25% 48% 26% 24% 21% 42%

33% 23% 14% 43% 5% 25% 14% 34%

29% 25% 24% 7% 23% 26% 29% 17%

9% 26% 37% 2% 47% 25% 36% 8%



26/26

Lehigh County Illegal Dumpsite Survey

2013 Final Report

Lehigh County Illegal Dumpsite SurveyAcknowledgements

Produced by Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful in partnershipwith the Lehigh County Conservation District

Laura Hopek, Surveyor, Lehigh County Conservation DistrictWilliam McFadden, Surveyor, Lehigh County Conservation District

Caesar deChicchis, University Center for Social and Urban Research, University of Pittsburgh

A special thanks to the Center for Rural Pennsylvania, County of Lehigh, Lehigh Countymunicipalities, and Keep Allentown Beautiful for their assistance on this report.

Thanks to the rest of the Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful staff for their various contributionsof report design, data management, and editing.

This report was produced with funding through:

A grant from the Department of Environmental Protection

Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful105 West Fourth Street, Greensburg, PA 15601

Phone: 724-836-4121 Toll Free: 877-772-3673Fax: 724-836-1980 www.keeppabeautiful.org

lehigh county illegal dump survey 2013

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