Bethlehem Landfill claims Lower Saucon community survey unfairly targets business | Bethlehem Area

NORTHAMPTON COUNTY, Pa. — The Bethlehem Landfill says a community survey is unfairly targeting its business.

For years, Lower Saucon Township and the Bethlehem Landfill have been in a legal battle.

The landfill wants to expand, the township supervisors do not, but a recent community survey wasn’t supposed to be about that. It’s supposed to gauge what type of development people would like to see in the future, but the landfill said it’s taking a shot at them.

“I’m a little surprised that they are injecting themselves into this survey,” said Lower Saucon Township Supervisor Board President Victoria Opthof-Cordaro. “The survey actually isn’t about the landfill. The survey is about future planning for the township.”

Opthof-Cordaro said the survey wasn’t even designed by the township.

“The survey was designed by Lehigh Valley Planning Commission. It was not questions developed by the Township Council members,” said Opthof-Cordaro.

But even so, she stands by the survey as a tool to get the community’s input. The landfill, however, has several problems with it. First, the survey allows anyone to respond, even if you don’t live in Lower Saucon, but Opthof-Cordaro said they’re tracking that.

“The survey does have a question of whether you live or don’t live within the Township,” said Opthof-Cordaro.

The landfill also objected to a picture in the survey, showing a messy landfill that it claims is “designed to provoke emotional reaction.” But its biggest concern is the lack of discussion about the landfill’s financial impact. Opthof-Cordaro argues, they covered that.

“There is a statement at the beginning of the survey that just talks generally about the landfill revenue that the Township receives so that the community is aware of that,” said Opthof-Cordaro.

In the end, Opthof-Cordaro did admit the survey is in part about imagining what Lower Saucon might look like post-landfill.

“You should not be building your services upon an industry that is not going to be there forever,” said Opthof-Cordaro.

The Bethlehem Landfill wants the survey either changed, or withdrawn completely. Opthof-Cordaro didn’t give any indication that was going to happen. The survey will be collecting community responses online until July 31st.