Luzerne County Council committee recommends resolution opposing southern county PPL transmission line

Luzerne County Council’s Infrastructure Committee voted Tuesday to recommend a resolution opposing a new PPL transmission line through several rural southern county communities but tabled a decision on advancing another resolution against a plastics plant in Sugarloaf Township.

Majority council approval would be required at a future council meeting for any resolutions to take effect.

The recommended resolution would object to new PPL transmission lines through Nescopeck, Black Creek, Sugarloaf and Hazle townships.

PPL said that project will provide additional power and support existing and future load growth.

Sugarloaf Township resident John Zola, who created the Alliance to Stop the Line group opposing the project, told the committee Tuesday the “monstrosities” would run “right through the heart of Sugarloaf,” close to many residences.

Zola said several municipalities approved resolutions opposing the project. Although resolutions cannot force PPL to stop the plan, he described them as building blocks in the effort to convince PPL to pursue alternate options. Specifically, his group suggests PPL upgrade and/or add a new line parallel to an existing one.

He said the new line would negatively impact property values. Zola maintained most of the right-of-way easements for PPL to add the line date back a century and are not wide enough to accommodate the proposed line, although the utility has the power of eminent domain. He asserted the utility was “given way too much power” by the government.

All three infrastructure committee members in attendance Tuesday agreed to advance the resolution to council: Jimmy Sabatino, Patty Krushnowski and LeeAnn McDermott.

The resolution would urge PPL and regulatory agencies to pursue alternative routes or solutions and perform environmental and health impact assessments.

State Rep. Jamie Walsh, R-Ross Township, thanked the council committee for supporting the resolution and said he will be presenting all opposition declarations during his meeting with the head of PPL this month. An extensive “outpouring from the community” may make the utility reconsider its plan, he said.

Second resolution

The tabled resolution would oppose construction of a plastics plant by Alterra Energy LLC on Tomhicken Road.

According to the proposed resolution, the Akron, Ohio-based company wants to construct a plastics pyrolysis plant that would involve transporting approximately 100,000 tons of discarded plastic into the county from major urban centers, such as New York City and Philadelphia.

The resolution cites concerns about the emission of toxic chemicals and pollutants and would urge the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and any other relevant regulatory agencies to deny permits or other approvals for the proposed facility.

Infrastructure committee members agreed more information was needed.

Attending Tuesday’s meeting remotely, two Alterra Energy representatives — Chief Development Officer Bilal Khan and Head of Public Affairs Omar Terrie — spoke at length about their manufacturing process that converts hard-to-recycle plastic to a synthetic oil for reuse, insisting the company is helping the environment.

The men maintained the operation is safe and highly regulated. The $300 million project would create 100 full-time jobs.

They asked the county to wait to consider any resolution until the state DEP issues guidance on whether it will proceed with Alterra’s application for an air permit, which was submitted in April.

Sabatino said he will email the company a list of documents and citizen questions so that information can be publicly disseminated.

Two residents who live near the proposed facility listed a range of concerns about potential pollution. One of them, Lisa Logan, said she has formed the Luzerne County Community Action Coalition to educate the public about Alterra, maintaining she has found information that contradicts assertions made by the company.

Representatives of four organizations from outside the area also issued warnings about the proposed project and urged residents and officials to perform due diligence.