Citizens for Responsible Development

**UPDATE** Thank you all for the outpouring of support to save the land! We had a tremendous turnout at the council meeting on December 21 to stop the rezoning. Everyone spoke from the heart and gave extremely compelling reasons why this land should be saved. The Council voted 3-2 (deLeon and Yerger NO) to pass the zoning changes needed for landfill expansion.

Now it is our time to act!

Thanks to all of your comments at the hearing and your financial support, a zoning appeal will be filed in the appropriate judicial forum by the end of January. We have retained an environmental consultant who has specific experience with Lower Saucon and the landfill. We need to keep raising money so we can continue community outreach and retain the necessary consultants and experts who will help us WIN!

WE NEED YOUR HELP so we can stop the landfill in its tracks before the 275 acres of land is cleared for garbage.

"Lower Saucon residents came out in droves against the rezoning and expansion of Bethlehem Landfill during a Lower Saucon Township Council meeting Wednesday, December 21, 2022. (JANE THERESE / Special to The Morning Call)"

**ORIGINAL** We are fighting to preserve 275 acres of pristine forested land with natural creek and historical sights from landfill development along the Lehigh River overlooking the Delaware and Lehigh National Heritage Corridor.

The Bethlehem Landfill, a private corporation operating within Lower Saucon Township, Northampton County, is requesting the Township rezone 275 acres of forested land from Rural Agricultural to Light Industrial. The Landfill seeks to remove land development and zoning hearing oversight for its planned expansion. The landfill is also requesting the Township REMOVE Conservation Easements which prevent landfill development on the land.

If successful, the landfill will be destroying 275 acres of historic ground and forest to fulfill its expansion. The steep slopes of this acreage are home to various wildlife and rare plants. At the bottom of the affected mountain there are two waterways: The Bull Run Creek and The Lehigh River.

Anyone who enjoys the Delaware and Lehigh National Heritage Corridor between Freemansburg Borough and The National Canal Museum in Easton PA will no longer be able to view the beautiful forest. Instead they will see and smell garbage greatly threatening the environmental and economic benefits the land provides.

We aim to protect the land, water and Delaware and Lehigh National Heritage Corridor viewshed from permanent pollution and harm.

Article I Section 27 of Pennsylvania’s Constitution provides:

The people have a right to clean air, pure water, and to the preservation of the natural, scenic, historic and esthetic values of the environment. Pennsylvania's public natural resources are the common property of all the people, including generations yet to come. As trustee of these resources, the Commonwealth shall conserve and maintain them for the benefit of all the people

Please contribute any amount you can to save this tremendous asset of Northampton County, Pennsylvania and the United States of America.