EXETER TOWNSHIP AND MASCARO'S PIONEER CROSSING LANDFILL BOLSTER SUCCESSFUL PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP
On September 9, 2019, the Exeter Township Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to approve and enter into two long-term agreements with the Pioneer Crossing Landfill, a J. P. Mascaro & Sons-affiliated company. For many years, that DEP-permitted facility has operated in the Baumstown area of Exeter Township near the Borough of Birdsboro.
The two agreements allow for the continuation and growth of the mutually beneficial public-private partnership relationship between the Township and Mascaro that has existed for the last 20 years. The agreements also assure that the Pioneer Crossing Landfill, a key component of the continued future success of Mascaro's family owned and operated waste service business, will be available to handle the disposal needs of Mascaro's growing list of residential, commercial and industrial customers in the region for the next 50 years.
The two agreements, an "Amendment Agreement" and a "Joint Cooperation Agreement," amend the existing October 2000 Host Community Agreement between the Township and Mascaro. That existing agreement has provided Exeter Township with millions of dollars of economic, social and environmental benefits, but the economic benefits to the Township from the existing agreement are currently "capped," with no further increases available.
The new agreements lift that cap and provide the Township with more control over and economic benefits from Pioneer Crossing, including a $1 million contribution for the Township's new fire station, an increased per-ton host fee for the Township, a guaranteed minimum annual donation of $60,000 to $100,000 by Pioneer Crossing to certain Township departments/organizations designated in the agreements, as well as a newly negotiated Host Community Agreement in the future based upon then-current market conditions.
Company President, Pat Mascaro, said, "The approved agreements are good for and provide certainty for both Exeter Township and our company; they eliminate the potential of costly future legal proceedings; and they provide the Township and its residents with substantial current and future economic benefits that no other business in the Township provides.
"It was refreshing to work with a cooperative and progressive Township governing body that recognizes and appreciates the excellent 20 year operational record of Pioneer Crossing, the unmatched economic, environmental and philanthropic commitment the Mascaro companies have made to the Township and its residents, and the importance of the disposal services that Pioneer Crossing provides for area municipalities, businesses and industries," added Mascaro.
Mascaro also noted that, "While landfills may not be popular, they are essential in a modern, progressive society, and when a landfill and a host community work cooperatively together, as Pioneer Crossing and Exeter Township have for the last 20 years, both benefit.
"The advantage of our Pioneer Crossing Landfill is that we have coupled it with our successful local waste collection divisions, with TotalRecycle, our ultra-modern, fully-automated single stream recycling facility adjacent to the landfill, with our three DEP-permitted waste transfer stations, and with our A&M Compost facility, a nearby modern DEP-permitted compost facility which is the largest in Pennsylvania, all of which better enable us to provide quality service to our customers. We have invested over $100 million in a top-notch sustainable waste service network for our valued customers," Mascaro added.
According to Bill Fox, Chief Counsel for Mascaro, the new agreements were negotiated with Township representatives, including the Township Solicitor, over a two month period, were reviewed and approved by the Solicitor, and were unanimously supported and adopted by the Board of Supervisors. Fox stated, "Both sides exhibited good faith and a cooperative spirit in this process, with a commitment to continuing and growing the beneficial public-private partnership that has existed between the Township and Pioneer Crossing for the last 20 years, while providing the Township with additional facility controls and increased economic benefits and stability."
Pat Mascaro added, "The new agreements will serve as the foundation for the third and fourth generations of Mascaro family members to continue and grow our successful family owned and operated business. I am appreciative of the Board of Supervisors being 'forward thinking' and recognizing the many advantages of continuing the strong working relationship between the Township and our company, which allows both of us to plan for the future."
For more information about J. P. Mascaro & Sons, its facility infrastructure and its comprehensive waste services, please visit the company website at www.jpmascaro.com.