Pen Argyl Case Study

The landfill in Pen Argyl used to be family owned and operated. In the early 2000’s Grand Central Service purchased the land and united with Waste Management Corporation to run the facility. Residents of the entire Slate Belt were divided over the new influx of garbage to the area. Since there is no highway directly to the site, trucks frequently blocked back roads and were stuck on steep incline of 512 in Bangor – sometimes for hours and Pen Argyl roads suffer a similar state (Heeschen, 2011) Residents complained of new or worsened health ailments and odors that were excessively bad in the summer months (George, 2014; Heeschen; 2011) Other residents, however, welcomed income in the form of grants from Waste Management that has eased taxes