Representatives from Dauphin County have stated they were not an agent in the sale of the Harrisburg Incinerator. However, minutes from the Lancaster Solid Waste Management Authority appear to undermine this contention:
The County is not acting as an agent for either the seller or the buyer of the Facility with respect to the proposed transaction. Nor did the County participate in any negotiations with respect to the transaction now under consideration. The July 22, 2011 Minutes of LCSWMA do not relate to the current proposed transaction.
LCSWMA’s July 22, 2011 minutes are not the only document contradicting Dauphin County’s “no finger permits” defense.
LCSWMA’s September 16, 2011 minutes read:
On Monday, September 12, Covanta representatives, Chuck Zwally (Council for Dauphin County), and Mr. Warner met with Governor Corbett in Philadelphia. The meeting went extremely well. The message for the Governor was that there is a unified team between LCSWMA, Covanta, and the County of Dauphin ready to come in and execute the transaction. The work has been done, short of signing any documents, for the major conditions that would allow LCSWMA to own the asset. Part of the business model allowing the price to purchase the HRRF to be increased to $124 million included getting money for the capital improvements from elsewhere and not use the cash flow from the facility.
Recently, Dauphin County applied with Lancaster County Solid Waste Management Agency for a PA Redevelopment Capital Assistance Program grant for repairs to the Harrisburg incinerator.
The grant would help to attract development for a piece of land that Dauphin County is assumes is “the worst.” (Commissioner Haste, July 24, 2013) In fact the County does not know how or if the site will be cleaned or if the property can be recycled.
Why would Dauphin County apply for grant to partner with an entity it claims it has no involvement?
Download:
Epstein’s Request
Dauphin County’s Reply
Photo by Don Shall