York County Solid Waste Authority recognized by York County Commissioners, Sen. Phillips-Hill

Authority celebrating 50th anniversary, Governor’s Award for Environmental Excellence

Who: York County Solid Waste Authority, York County Commissioners and state Sen. Kristin Phillips-Hill (R-York County)

What: The Authority will host the county commissioners and Sen. Phillips-Hill to celebrate a milestone and state award. The commissioners and the senator will present the Authority with citations celebrating its 50-year anniversary and the recent announcement from the PA Department of Environmental Protection that the Authority is among 13 recipients of the 2021 Governor’s Award for Environmental Excellence.

The Authority received the award for its major improvements to the Resource Recovery Center, Ash Recycling and Processing Facility and the now-closed York County Sanitary Landfill.

Improvements at the Resource Recovery Center included the following:

  • Small-load and white goods drop-off areas
  • Yard waste collection
  • Free electronics recycling
  • The boiler water treatment system was replaced with newer technology and new air compressors were installed
  • A new vault captures surface water runoff that is reused to quench hot combustion ash
  • A surge tank was installed to collect stormwater runoff from three acres of roof space; the water supplements cooling tower water

Improvements were also made to the now-closed sanitary landfill, which has been recycled into a 208-acre wildlife habitat with mowed walking trails. The ash facility now uses new technology to separate metals, aggregates, and sand from combustion ash, reducing ash that must be managed in a landfill by more than 50 percent. At the landfill, a playground, a pavilion, and sports fields were installed. An 806-panel solar array was installed that provides 300,000 kilowatt hours of electricity annually.

In addition, the Authority is celebrating 50 years of service to York County. Since receiving the Articles of Incorporation from the state on December 28, 1971, the Authority has established one of the top municipal solid waste authorities in the state and has successfully managed 15,165,252 tons of waste through November 2021 with an eye toward preserving the environment.

This amount includes waste first managed at the now-closed York County Sanitary Landfill from 1974 through 1989 and at the York County Resource Recovery Center from October 1989 through November 2021.

When: Dec. 20, 2021, 3:00 p.m.

Where: The Authority’s Education Center located at the Resource Recovery Center at 2651 Blackbridge Road, York, PA 17406