ICE detention plans end for warehouses in Berks and Schuylkill counties
DHS withdrew appeals tied to two proposed Pennsylvania ICE detention sites, but DEP orders, inspections and local infrastructure questions remain.
Plans to use two Pennsylvania warehouses as ICE detention centers will not move forward after the U.S. Department of Homeland Security withdrew its appeals of state environmental orders, Pennsylvania officials said.
In letters dated July 13, DHS confirmed that ICE will not use either property as a detention center. The sites are at 3501 Mountain Road in Upper Bern Township, Berks County, and 51 Rausch Creek Road in Tremont Township, Schuylkill County.
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection confirmed the development on July 22. DEP said its administrative orders remain in effect and that the properties must continue to comply with water, sewer, sewage-planning and other environmental requirements.
What changed
The orders were issued March 5 after plans emerged to convert the warehouses into detention facilities. State officials and local communities had raised concerns about the potential demands on water systems, wastewater treatment, emergency services and other public infrastructure.
DHS’s withdrawal of the appeals means the proposed detention-center use will not move forward. The federal letters instead describe continued commercial-warehouse use at existing or previously approved water and sewer levels.
That does not mean the properties are permanently closed or barred from all future commercial activity. DEP’s follow-up letters say any use beyond the commercial-warehouse plans described by DHS would require additional sewage planning, permitting, certification or drinking-water approvals.
What remains in force
At the Upper Bern Township property, DHS said sewage would remain within the existing limit of 8,000 gallons per day and that it would seek approval to use the existing well. At the Tremont Township property, DHS described sewage use of up to 6,000 gallons per day and potable-water use of up to 7,675 gallons per day.
DEP said it plans to inspect both properties to confirm that the federal plans match actual operations. Changes to pumping rates, water treatment or sewage handling could require additional approvals under the state orders.
Why local officials are still watching
The end of the detention proposal does not settle every local question. Residents and officials still face uncertainty about future warehouse operations, traffic, utility capacity, emergency-service planning and the property-tax consequences of how the sites are used.
Spotlight PA reported that the Berks County property purchase affected school-district planning and raised questions about property-tax revenue. Those issues remain unsettled because the warehouses’ future commercial use has not been fully resolved.
The Associated Press reported that the proposed facilities had drawn concern over the scale of the operations and their potential impact on local water and wastewater systems. Those infrastructure issues remain relevant even though the detention use has been abandoned.
The next developments to watch are DEP inspections, any permit applications for the existing well or other water systems, and township or county actions tied to future warehouse operations.
Sources
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