DUNMORE, LACKAWANNA CO. (WOLF) — The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has extended the operating permit for Keystone Sanitary Landfill through December 31, 2026, giving regulators more time to evaluate the company’s recent efforts to address odor and leachate issues.
The landfill’s permit, which officially expired in April 2025, had already been granted a short-term extension through October 6, 2025. DEP said the latest extension allows additional time to complete its technical review of the landfill’s renewal application and to assess new odor-control systems now in operation.
In a letter to Keystone Sanitary Landfill owner Louis DeNaples, DEP noted that two 2.5-million-gallon enclosed leachate storage tanks and a new odor control system at the landfill’s treatment plant began operating in September. Officials said they need time to determine whether these measures are effectively reducing off-site odors and mitigating leachate concerns.
The review also follows a 2025 Environmental Hearing Board decision that sent Keystone’s Phase III expansion permit back to DEP for further analysis. The board directed DEP to reassess whether additional permit conditions are needed to control odors and excess leachate and to update its harms-benefits analysis accordingly.
DEP emphasized that the extension does not authorize any new construction or operational changes. If Keystone fails to comply with the conditions of the extension, regulators warned the company could be required to cease operations and begin closure of the landfill.
Any individual or group wishing to challenge the decision has 30 days from receipt of the notice to file an appeal with the Environmental Hearing Board in Harrisburg.
Environmental Hearing Board
Rachel Carson State Office Building, Second Floor
400 Market Street
P.O. Box 8457
Harrisburg, PA 17105-8457