Schuylkill County Commissioner Chairman Larry Padora would like to know how four waste operations ended up on the western end of the county.

Now, in addition to an odor that prevents residents from enjoying the outdoors near their homes, one resident has a swath of raw sewage sludge in his backyard.

Mike Miller’s 16 acres in Hegins Township adjoins the Natural Soil Products facility.

There is a hill from the NSP property that leads to the Miller property.

Earlier this month, Miller told the commissioners that he has 50 feet of raw sewage sludge 6 feet wide in his backyard.

“It is 20 feet from my well,” Miller said. “I’ve called seven agencies. They all passed the buck, I’m going through hell with DEP (the state Department of Environmental Resources).”

Padora, who visited the property, as has fellow Commissioner Gary Hess, said he is, too.

“You call DEP, and they don’t call you back.” Padora said. “I’ve tried to contact DEP, EPA (the federal Environmental Protection Agency) and the governor’s office.

“You have NSP, Liberty Soils and the Stavola facility all near each other.”

Not too far away is the CES/DeNaples Landfill. And another landfill — which the commissioners recently week went on record against —– is proposed nearby.

“We are doing everything we can,” Padora said. “We can’t go there and say, cease and desist,

“We don’t have the authority. We will continue to do all we can do.”

Padora and the other commissioners decided to draft and send an official letter to all of the agencies for help.

He had a suggestion how the average person can help.

“This is the time to ask for help,” Padora said. “The governor has to appoint a new DEP secretary.

:Now’s the time to contact your state senators and representatives, because they will be voting on the governor’s appointment.”

Padora said that he has studied alternatives to deal with biosolids.

“One state, Maine, has banned it from being spread on land,” he said. “Their disposal fees have doubled.

“In Singapore, they incinerate their sludge and trash because it contains BTUs. Pennsylvania biosolids go to Alabama.”