PINE TWP., Mercer Co., Pa. - People will have a chance to weigh in on a long-debated plan to reopen a landfill in Mercer County Thursday evening.

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection will host a virtual public hearing Thursday, April 15, 2021, at 6:00 PM to accept feedback on the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit application submitted by Tri-County Landfill, Inc. for the proposed re-opening of a currently closed municipal waste Landfill in Liberty and Pine townships.

Tri-County previously operated a landfill at the location that accepted waste between 1950 and 1990. It has been inactive since 1990.

Tri-County Landfill Inc. submitted a permit application in 2019 to develop and operate new waste disposal areas within the 99-acre permit boundary of the old landfill. Waste in the unlined area of the old landfill would be excavated and relocated onto new lined disposal cells.

Video demonstrations and screen sharing by witnesses will not be permitted. Testimony will be limited to three minutes and will be placed into the public record for the application and considered in the application review process.

People who want to join the meeting were required to register one day beforehand. Those who signed up should have received a confirmation email with the hearing link and details to join.

Those unable to join may call Tom Decker at 814-573-3709 for instructions on how to join via telephone.

Written comments of any length may also be provided via email at RA-EPNPDES_NWRO@pa.gov, or via mail at the DEP Northwest Regional office, 230 Chestnut Street Meadville, PA 16335 no later than Friday, April 30, 2021.

Verbal comments provided at the hearing and written comments provided by the deadline will be addressed by DEP in a comment response document.

A copy of the permit application is available for review prior to the hearing at