A&M Composting is a modern recycling, reuse and reduction facility, where for more than 20 years, municipal sewage sludge from the local region has been composted in a fully-enclosed building through an approved process that generates Class A Exceptional Value Compost, a soil additive/nutrient used by landscapers, nurseries, golf courses, etc., and members of the public.
To qualify as Class A Compost, the finished product must meet precise operational and testing protocols prior to leaving the plant for distribution to residential and commercial customers. Composting is a well-recognized and supported recycling/reuse process that is much preferred to the landfilling or land application of sludge.
All materials received at A&M have regulatory approval, and the plant itself is a sustainable recycling/reuse operation with comprehensive environmental controls, including a large biofiltration odor control system comprised mostly of wood chips. The smoldering fire that we are currently experiencing at A&M involves the biofilter wood chips and does not involve the sludge material. We notified the regulatory agency and the local fire department when the wood chip fire was discovered and we are working diligently to get the fire under control.
This is the first incident of this type since the wood chip biofilter was installed about 20 years ago. This wood chip fire has posed some difficult “firefighting challenges,” but with input from the local fire company and the regulatory agency, we are working to remedy the situation as soon as possible.
A&M is a related entity of J. P. Mascaro & Sons, a fourth generation privately-owned Pennsylvania family business that prides itself in being community oriented in many ways. We sincerely regret any inconvenience the current situation at A&M may have caused and we want you to know that Mascaro family members themselves, together with company upper management team members and others, have been on-site working multiple shifts every day, including weekends, to timely mitigate and resolve the situation to the satisfaction of the regulatory agency and the community. We thank all involved who have helped us in dealing with this issue and especially our neighbors who live in the vicinity of the plant who have provided us resources and other assistance.