Moving Toward Zero Waste and Forward With Parklets
Lauren McKinnney, chair of the Swarthmore Environment Committee, presented a Zero Waste Resolution at the March 1 Swarthmore Borough Council work session. Drafted by the community group Chester Residents Concerned for Quality Living, the resolution was discussed at length during the February meetings of the Environment Committee and the Environmental Advisory Council.
The resolution requests that Delaware County commit to reducing overall waste, and that the county end its contract with Covanta, operator of the Delaware Valley Resource Recovery Facility trash incinerator in Chester.
According to a 2019 New School study, that incinerator emits more particulate matter than any other such facility in the country, McKinney reported. Particulate matter consists of solid and liquid particles suspended in the air. The hazardous particles emitted by the Covanta plant are of particular concern given that the childhood asthma hospitalization rate is 22% higher in Delaware County than the state average, according to a 2010 Pennsylvania Department of Health report.
“We on the environment committee feel that it is important to pass this [resolution] in support of cleaner air for Chester and for Delaware County, and to support a focused county-wide effort to reduce trash,” McKinney said.
Council will vote on the resolution during their March 8 legislative session.
Guidelines for Parklets
Parklets in Swarthmore will continue through the fall. Council unanimously voted to extend authorization through November 30.
Council originally approved the construction of temporary parklets last June, to allow dining establishments to serve patrons outdoors in the midst of the pandemic. In November, parklet permission was extended through March 31, with the intention to create long-term plans by then. The initial establishment of parklets “was done very quickly,” said General Government Committee Chair Sarah Graden. “These guidelines will enable them to be more purposeful.”
Under the newly approved guidelines, parklet applications must be submitted by March 12 and will be reviewed by the General Government Committee. Swarthmore Town Center will finalize locations after all applications have been reviewed. A copy of the application can be found on the Borough Council Meetings section of the borough website.
Community Conversations on Race
The Swarthmore Human Relations Commission is proposing a series of community conversations about implicit bias and antiracism in the borough, Graden reported. The series will be open to the entire community. The commission especially encourages attendance from all public-facing borough officials, including council members and police officers. Facilitators from Villanova University will moderate the sessions.
The series will consist of four 90-minute conversations, and the commission strongly recommends that participants commit to attending at least two. The commission is exploring grants to cover the cost of the program.
Swarthmore Borough Council will ask Swarthmore College to reopen the Crum Woods to the public. Photo: David Sadler
Appealing to College
Council member Betsy Larsen proposed that council entreat Swarthmore College to allow the community use of the Crum Woods again as spring begins and activities on campus dwindle. “Having a little peek into the warm weather made me miss the college woods,” said Larsen.
In August, when students returned, the college closed the campus, including the woods, to community members. Council discussed what strategy would be best for approaching the college, and decided on a letter to college administrators.
To view this or any other Swarthmore Borough Council meeting: swat.ink/council.
The next council meeting is Monday, March 8, at 7:30 p.m. Details are on the borough’s website.
