Elcon Commercial Hazardous Waste Treatment and Storage Facility Defeated

In July 2020, Elcon chemical hazardous waste storage and treatment facility withdrew its Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) permit applications. For over 6 years, the Delaware Riverkeeper Network, Protect our Water and Air (POWA), the Clean Air Council, and many other organizations and hundreds of individuals from both sides of the River have been tirelessly advocating to prevent Elcon from being built less than ½ mile from the Delaware River in Bucks County, PA. Twenty tanker trucks a day, 350 days a year would have transported 165,000 tons of liquid waste per year to the facility. At the facility, the waste would have been processed through thermal oxidation, adding over 24 tons of new airborne contaminants into the Bucks County and South Jersey region that already receives failing air quality grades from the American Lung Association. The grassroots effort that led to this victory included researching, attending government meetings, door-to-door petition drives, sponsoring public informational meetings in libraries and churches and meetings with local county, state and federal elected officials.

“This hard-fought victory is a testament to how powerful communities can be when they join forces and work together for the common goals of community and environmental protection,” said Maya van Rossum. “If built Elcon would have directly threatened our River, our air, our environment overall, and the drinking water supply for millions of people in Lower Bucks, Philadelphia and South Jersey.  There are many more battles that need to be won when it comes to protecting our River, environment, communities and future generations; but for a moment we, the community and all of our partners, should take a breath and be inspired by the success we have achieved here, and use it as inspiration to continue on with our other daunting battles."