To the Editor:

We read your article about what appears to be the conversations which occurred during a Whitehall Township Board of Commissioners meeting. We want to shed some light on the subject as we were not contacted for comment by either Whitehall Township or the Whitehall-Coplay Press.

Coplay Aggregates has been reclaiming the quarries located off Beekmantown Road for more than 20 years. The property was purchased from Coplay Cement in 1989 and originally included approximately 150 acres. The redevelopment of this property thus far includes the 5290 Quarry Building, Ransome Cat, Sheetz and Briarwood Commons. Two additional lots have recently been approved for development that are located on Beekmantown Road, just north of Ransome Cat, and two additional lots will be proposed to the township within the next year.

The filling of the quarry holes has been the most challenging aspect of development. A conscious decision was made not to pursue mining below the existing water table in the large hole now being reclaimed in order to facilitate easier reclamation of that portion of the property. Thus far Coplay Aggregates has used Clean Fill for reclamation. In 2011 Coplay Aggregates was permitted by the state Department of Environmental Protection to utilize glass aggregate to construct a large filtration berm to assist in erosion control. The glass specification was for glass smaller than 3/4 inches in size with less than 5 percent (by weight) foreign material. This material came from Greenstar Recycling, a municipal recycling facility in Northampton that accepts municipal curbside recyclables. The material was processed at Greenstar by putting it through a screener to remove large portions of debris and to get the correct sizing. Coplay Aggregates monitored the debris content weekly to insure the foreign debris content did not exceed the 5-percent limit.

Coplay had been inspected many times by DEP since receiving these permits without any violations relative the acceptability of the material. All material was placed and utilized as permitted which has functioned as designed.

Coplay Aggregates Inc. was issued a Notice of Violation from the Pennsylvania DEP based on an inspection conducted Oct. 30, 2014. The items listed in the violation were the presence of paper sludge on side slopes, the placement of alternate glass aggregate material and the content of glass aggregate material. The permitted specification for the alternate glass material allowed for a 5-percent debris by weight. All accepted loads have met this criteria. However once placed the material is moved and vibrated by heavy machinery which causes the lighter foreign material to rise and collect. This was the material observed by DEP. All material is coming from a municipal recycling facility that accepts municipal commingled recycled paper, glass and plastic.

On Nov. 20, 2014, Coplay Aggregates responded to the PADEP, as required, with a plan and schedule of action to correct the violations. The response first corrected the DEP's incorrect statement based on the permitted sizing allowance for the alternate glass aggregate. The alternate glass aggregate size permitted by PADEP was 3/4 inches and not the stated 3/8 inches. Secondly, the loads of alternate glass aggregate are not being used as fill, but are being placed into the embankment structure for the material to be worked into the structure as permitted. Thirdly, Coplay agreed to remove the collection of debris at the bottom of the slope. This material was collected and removed to an approved disposal facility.

Coplay Aggregates has maintained an open-door policy with the township. The township was notified by DEP of the violation at the same time as Coplay Aggregates. Coplay Aggregates works diligently to resolve these issues and has corrected all violations. Coplay Aggregates maintains an excellent record with PADEP and has always worked to maintain the highest level of compliance. This issue is no different, which is why the violation was corrected quickly with no environmental harm. We have alway strived to be good corporate citizens in Whitehall.

Recycle, Reuse and Beneficial Use are the pillars of the environmental movement. The Coplay Quarry recycles soils and beneficially reuses those soils in the reclamation of the quarry. Upon completion of the reclamation project there will be as many as 15 industrial/commercial lots providing hundreds of high paying jobs to the local community while substantially increasing the tax base and eliminating the dangerous high walls left behind by Coplay Cement.

We respectfully request that the information contained in this letter be promptly published in the Whitehall-Coplay Press as a gesture from the Press in the spirit of reporting fairness.

Steven Kolbe

President

Coplay Aggregates Inc.