Within three years, more than a quarter million tons of trash from Delaware County will find its way to a Berks County landfill in an effort to reduce Chester trash incineration at the ReWorld, formerly Covanta, waste to steam plant, writes Kathleen E. Carey for the Daily Times.

Right now, about 40,000 tons of Delaware County’s annual 400,000 tons of trash goes to the Rolling Hills landfill in Berks County. The rest goes to the Chester incinerator.

The Chester incinerator processes about 1.2 million tons of trash a year, most of it from outside Delaware County.

Critics say the plant’s pollution affects the health of nearby residents, and that the plant’s location in the mostly Black Chester community is environmental racism.

Covanta officials maintain their pollution levels are well within federal and state standards.

“Delaware County’s the only place in the country that’s burning their trash in a densely populated, residential area,” pointed out Delaware County Councilman Kevin Madden.

The landfill and two transfer stations will be redesigned to handle seven times more trash, along with organics, recyclables and food waste composting, as the landfill’s life is extended 15 to 18 years.

Read more about efforts to reduce Chester trash incineration and waste reduction n the Daily Times.