PHILADELPHIA – The federal government is seeking the recovery of costs associated with the cleanup of a shuttered landfill from the city of Philadelphia.
United States of America filed a complaint on June 5 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania against the city of Philadelphia and the city of Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority citing the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act.
According to the complaint, from 1967 to 1973, the city disposed of municipal solid waste, incinerator ash and incinerator residue at the Clearview Landfill located on the borders of Delaware and Philadelphia counties. The plaintiff alleges the incinerator waste contained hazardous substances such as a lead and cadmium and the defendants have not taken any response regarding the site's cleanup.
The suit states the landfill was operated as an unlicensed disposal facility from the early 1950s until 1973 when the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Resources ordered it to cease.
The plaintiff is seeking recovery of past response costs incurred by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and for future costs.
The plaintiff is seeking all reasonable sums due, attorney fees and court costs. The plaintiff is represented by John N. Moscato of the U.S. Department of Justice in Denver.
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania case number 2:19-CV-02433