We Are Putting Our PA Green Amendment to Work!
Opposing Sweetheart Deal For Toxic Bishop Tube Site.
Since 2017, Green Amendments For The Generations has been helping East Whiteland Township, Chester County, PA community members to advocate for their environmental rights. The focus has been to secure clean up – by wealthy responsible corporations – of the long ignored toxic contamination at the site, and to support community members in their endeavor to secure this site as protected natural open space.
The Bishop Tube Site is a former metals processing plant. The site is bordered by Little Valley Creek, an Exceptional Value stream. Portions of the site are wooded and include wetlands that are also deemed Exceptional Value.
Due to the actions and decisions of the site’s industry owners, the site is supersaturated with dangerous toxins, including TCE and PFAS contaminants. Toxins are found in the soils, the groundwater and the neighboring creek. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection has known about the contamination since at least 1985; and has had the legal authority to hold responsible corporations (very wealth ones) accountable to address the toxic condition at the corporations’ expense. Rather than expedite efforts to secure site remediation, the PADEP has spent much of its time working to cut deals, including with Constitution Drive Partners, who is not only one of the responsible corporations, but is also a developer that wants to develop the site with residential homes. The most recent proposal submitted in the Fall 2020 was for ~92 residential homes.
Neighboring residents fear that the toxic contamination is responsible for serious illness amongst their community members. The contamination has also had serious implications on their sense of safety and their property values.
After years of behind-closed-doors negotiation between the PADEP and the legally responsible corporations – namely Johnson Matthey Inc. (previously known as J. Bishop, Matthey Bishop), Whittaker Corporation, Marcegaglia USA, Constitution Drive Partners – on March 14, 2026, a privately negotiated settlement was issued for public review and comment. The public was given just 60 days for this comment period, with requests for an extension quickly rejected by PADEP. The settlement was issued in the form of a Consent Decree that will require court approval if it is to take effect.
GAFTG has worked to help inform community members of their environmental rights as they pertain to this settlement/Consent Decree proposal. And we have submitted a comment of our own, focusing on the constitutional environmental rights issues that stand as a strong complement to comments submitted by community members and our sister organization the Delaware Riverkeeper Network.
You can review GAFTG’s comment here.
If you want to learn more about the Bishop Tube site and how it has affected the community, including the battles with the developer (such as the legal SLAPP suit the developer filed against Green Amendments Founder Maya van Rossum and that was threatened against 10 to be named community members), you will find the whole story in the Green Amendment book. It’s the lead story opening Chapter 6, The Paving of America.
Standing Against ICE Detention Centers Threatening Our Environment, Health & Safety
Hot News: Green Amendments For The Generations has filed a Petition to Intervene to protect our communities, environment and environmental rights from being ravaged by an ICE Detention Center. Read the Press Release here.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) has purchased a warehouse located at 50 Rausch Creek Rd, in Tremont Township, Schuylkill County PA. The facility is located in the Rausch Creek watershed, which is part of the Susquehanna River watershed.
ICE intends to use the warehouse as a detention center, with plans to incarcerate up to 7,500 people onsite. In addition to those incarcerated at the center, employees will be needed for facility operation and management.
On March 5, 2026, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection issued Administrative Orders to DHS, to the Township, and to the Schuylkill County Municipal Authority laying out the requirements of law, as well as additional prohibitions and limitations, regarding drinking water and sewage services for the site.
On March 17, 2026, ICE acknowledged receipt of the PADEP order and requested a series of modifications, extensions, and revisions to what is being required of them, all in a clear effort to allow ICE to advance its plans for the site. On April 8 it formally appealed the order.
On April 17, Green Amendments For The Generations filed a petition with the Pennsylvania Environmental Hearing Board seeking to intervene in the case titled Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Environmental Protection. If the petition is granted, GAFTG will become party to the case as Intervenor, with the opportunity to fully participate in the legal proceedings to come.
Want to know more about the proposal and impacts? Read the info sheet here.
But in short, the proposed center would put huge strains on local water supplies and sewage systems, threatening drinking water quantity and quality AND water availability for emergency services. As a result, communities are standing up to say ‘NO’.
Sign on to Green Amendment For The Generations’ letter encouraging PADEP and Governor Shapiro to stand strong on the firm mandates issued to DHS and the Townships, which make clear that operations of the Detention Centers are prohibited without the required permitting from PADEP.
READ THE FULL LETTER AND SIGN ON AT: bit.ly/GAFTGNoICECenters
Federal Endangerment Finding Re Climate Withdrawn — Green Amendments For The Generations Makes Clear that PA is NOT Off The Hook
February 12, 2026, the federal government eliminated its endangerment finding—a foundational step taken years ago to support nationwide reduction of GHGs, particularly as the result of vehicle emissions. Green Amendments For The Generations and our sister organization Delaware Riverkeeper Network write to the Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection to urge strong state action. Our letter makes clear that regardless of where the federal government ultimately lands in the battle to regulate climate-changing emissions, Pennsylvania government officials and agencies have — by virtue of the Pennsylvania Green Amendment constitutional mandate — their own independent duty to mitigate climate change.
The letter sent today makes clear that Pennsylvania’s Green Amendment – Article I, Section 27 of the state constitution — requires Pennsylvania Agencies to use their statutory and regulatory authority to abate and remedy climate change. This duty exists even if the Commonwealth is not the cause of environmental degradation, and even if the actions of the PA Agencies alone are unsuccessful in preserving the public natural resources from climate change.
You can read the letter here.
Talen Data Center, Montour County — NO
In Pennsylvania, Talen Energy Supply, LLC (Talen Energy) is asking the Montour County Commissioners to rezone over 800 acres of land from zoning as agricultural, public/semi public or rural residential uses to an industrial use designation. In response to strong community advocacy, Talen Energy confirmed that the change in zoning was needed to support a planned data center.
Very little information has been made available about the actual data center itself.
After a robust hearing in November, 2025, the Montour County Planning Commission recommended that the rezoning request be rejected by the County Commissioners who are the final arbiter of the petition.
The County Commissioners invited written comment and held a hearing on January 23, 2026. Despite it being a work week, work day hearing (friday starting at 9:30 am), the room was full and the testimony was powerful.
Green Amendments For The Generations submitted written comment urging rejection of the rezoning request and joined the community in offering testimony at the hearing.
On February 10th, the Montour County Commissioners unanimously voted NO to rezone approx. 1000 acres of farmland to industrial to allow for a data center and powerplant proposal by Talen Energy and Amazon. Community member after community member described this battle as David vs. Goliath, and they couldn’t be more right. Pennsylvania’s Green Amendment, Article 1 Section 27, was mentioned several times at the earlier commissioners hearing in January.
