East Penn farm gets OK for biosolids

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection has approved an application to use treated sewage sludge, known as biosolids, as a fertilizer on a farm located in East Penn Township.

Residents have expressed opposition to the plan at a special meeting of the township supervisors on March 1, and another meeting has been scheduled for March 29.

Earlier this week DEP approved the application filed by Synagro Inc., a company based in Maryland, to use treated sewage on farmland owned by Dennis Cunfer and Wanda Crostley.

Cunfer’s farm, located at 665 Cunfer Lane, is known as Neverdone Farm, which includes livestock, as well as fields where they grow corn, soybeans, wheat, barley, orchardgrass and alfalfa.

His wife, Deanna, is an East Penn Township Supervisor. His son, Justin, who operates the farm, is married to DEP’s Director of External Affairs, Katherine Hetherington-Cunfer.

Both Hetherington-Cunfer and Deanna Cunfer have said they are recusing themselves from any action in their official capacities regarding the biosolids plan.

DEP granted approval after inspecting the site on Feb. 26 and determined that all but a handful of the fields they proposed met the agency’s requirements to use Class B biosolids.

DEP regulates the use of Class B biosolids. Class A biosolids, which are treated to minimize disease-causing pathogens and insects, can be spread on any farm in Pennsylvania without a permit.

About 13 acres of the proposed area did not meet DEP’s requirements. DEP said the conservation plan for those fields did not adequately address gully erosion associated with those fields, and “If implementation of the plan does not adequately address the erosion, then the plan should be updated prior to spreading treated sewage sludge,” the letter stated.

Earlier this month, East Penn residents stated their opposition to the project at a special township supervisors’ meeting called to discuss the biosolids plan.

Residents expressed concern about runoff from the fields.

After hearing residents’ comments at the meeting, the township supervisors voted to have their engineer, Hanover Engineering, conduct a review to see if the township has any authority to regulate the use of biosolids. Deanna Cunfer abstained from the vote.

The supervisors will hold another special meeting to discuss the biosolids plan at 6:30 p.m. on March 29 at the East Penn Social Hall, 403 Blue Mountain Road in Ashfield.