Indicators 2024: Monitoring the region’s environmental health

WILKES-BARRE — Tracking data on recycling, waste management, mining impacts, and air and water quality is one way to monitor environmental health.

This information is included in The Institute’s annual Indicators Report, according to the organization’s Chief Operating Officer Jill Avery-Stoss.

“For example, data collected between 2021 and 2022 revealed an increase in the output of recyclables for Lackawanna and Luzerne counties,” Avery-Stoss said. “Throughout the past decade, however, recycling in terms of volume declined in both counties. Declines were also recorded for Wayne County.”

Between 2021 and 2022, recycling of single stream plastics in Lackawanna County increased by 4%. Recycling of metals increased by 21.3% and recycling of organics increased by 4.1%.

Although recycling of single stream plastics decreased by 14.2% in Luzerne County, recycling of metals increased by 9.1% and recycling of organics increased by 15.7%.

The amount of waste generated in the three-county region has followed an increasing trend over the past several years but experienced a drop as of 2023:

• Lackawanna County recorded 301,925 tons of waste in 2023, a 6.3% decrease from the previous year. The county has seen a 7.5% decrease in waste from 2018 to 2023, but there was an overall increase of 9.9% from 2000 to 2023.

• Luzerne County recorded 337,125 tons of waste in 2023, a 1.3% decrease from the previous year. The county has seen a 10.7% increase from 2018 to 2023, and a 7.4% increase from 2000 to 2023.

• Wayne County recorded 45,267 tons of waste in 2023, a 74.6% increase from the previous year of 25,929 tons. The county has seen over a 100% increase from 2018 to 2023, but a decrease of 19.9% from 2000 to 2023.

Municipal waste was the largest component of all waste generated in all three counties.

“The effects of coal mining and other heavy industries linger in the forms of contaminated brownfield sites, coal refuse sites, mine subsidence, mine fires, and acid mine drainage,” said Avery-Stoss. “These issues impact the environment, so it is important to monitor them in addition to waste and recycling activities.”

Brownfields are underused properties that typically have been abandoned, left idle, or remain underused due to concerns about contamination. Cleaning a brownfield site can reduce or eliminate potential health risks and promote development.

As of 2024, six Lackawanna County sites were listed in Pennsylvania DEP’s Hazardous Sites Cleanup Act (HSCA). Five additional Lackawanna County sites were listed under the federal CERCLA program — the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (commonly known as Superfund). Luzerne County had 16 HSCA sites and six federal Superfund sites. Wayne County had three HSCA sites and zero Superfund sites.

The region is also home to 6.7% of Pennsylvania’s abandoned mine land (AML) sites and 24% of its anthracite coal refuse-producing sites.

“Otherwise, indicators have been positive in terms of the region’s air and water ecosystem quality,” added Avery-Stoss. “Air Quality Index (AQI) scores are generally good, and annual monitoring of the Susquehanna River by the Chesapeake Bay Project shows normal results in several metrics of stream water quality.”