The civic record
Read. Follow. Verify.Pennsylvania bill prohibits new and expanding landfills within three miles of densely populated municipalities
Last action · March 17, 2025: Referred to ENVIRONMENTAL AND NATURAL RESOURCE PROTECTION, March 17, 2025Sponsor: Tim Bonner
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What This Bill Would Do
House Bill 935 prohibits locating or expanding municipal, residual, or landfills within three miles of any municipality with a population density of at least 1,000 residents per square mile. This restriction applies to any landfill seeking an initial, reopening, or expansion permit that has not yet received final approval from the department and courts. The legislation takes effect immediately upon enactment.
The measure establishes a strict geographic buffer protecting densely populated communities from nearby waste disposal sites, directly impacting permitting decisions for waste facility operators and municipalities near urban borders.
- The Solid Waste Management Act of 1980 governs the storage, collection, transportation, processing, treatment, and disposal of solid waste in Pennsylvania. context
- The Environmental Quality Board is the independent rule-making body that adopts regulations for the Department of Environmental Protection. context
Who It Would Affect
Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Landfill operators
Operators seeking to open, reopen, or expand waste disposal facilities face new geographic restrictions if their proposed site is within three miles of a qualifying high-density municipality.
Residents of high-density municipalities
Municipalities with a population density of at least 1,000 residents per square mile gain a three-mile buffer zone protecting them from new or expanded waste disposal facilities.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which types of landfills are covered by this restriction?
Does this bill affect existing, fully approved landfills?
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News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Currently in committee. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Floor Vote.
Procedural history
1 action- Mar 17, 2025HouseCommitteeReferred to ENVIRONMENTAL AND NATURAL RESOURCE PROTECTION, March 17, 2025
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Connected Entities
Sources
www.palegis.us
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance75How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy60Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz40Current news / social attention level
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