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Hazleton man arrested after pistol-whipping another man

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Letter to the Editor: Voice opposition to planned natural gas pipeline in NEPA

<p>The state Department of Environmental Protection asked a Luzerne County judge to hold the threat of prison over the head of one of the owners of the former Huber Breaker property if the site is not cleaned up under the terms of a March court order.</p><p>DEP&#8217;s legal staff filed a petition for contempt Tuesday, requesting a series of deadlines and conditions be imposed on Paselo Logistics LLC of Ashley and its vice president Pasquale Scalleat.</p><p>The DEP asked the court to &#8220;issue a suspended sentence of incarceration&#8221; for Scalleat that could be lifted upon compliance with the March 15 order by Judge Fred Pierantoni III. If Scalleat fails to comply, he would be imprisoned, according to DEP&#8217;s petition.</p><p>The court filing marked the latest development in the ongoing efforts by DEP since Feb. 26, 2015, to ensure the property was cleared of hazardous waste and the material disposed of properly.</p><p>In 2013, Paselo purchased the 25-acre Huber property in Ashley and Hanover Township for $1.275 million through a federal bankruptcy proceeding. The hulking breaker built in 1939 and idled for nearly 40 years stood as one of the last remaining remnants of anthracite mining in the Wyoming Valley. Paselo demolished the structure and sold the steel for scrap.</p><p>According to the filing, four follow-up inspections by DEP in March, April, July and December of 2015 and April, May, July and August of this year determined Paselo was not in compliance.</p><p>&#8220;The only change in the conditions at the site appeared to be that several large bags of asbestos containing waste were missing from a roll-off container, with evidence that they were removed, drug across the ground, and taken to an undisclosed location,&#8221; the filing said.</p><p>To date, Paselo has yet to provide disposal receipts as required by the court order and federal regulations, the filing said. DEP demanded Paselo provide the receipts and, if it has not already done so, properly dispose of the waste, the filing said.</p><p>In addition, DEP asked that Paselo be ordered to pay $4,704, the costs of the ongoing enforcement and that the court grant any other &#8220;just and equitable&#8221; relief.</p><p>A hearing on the petition is scheduled for Oct. 24 in county court.</p><style>
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<div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/web1_Huber_Breaker_toned-1-1-1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Huber Breaker </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/web1_Huber_Breaker_toned-1-1-1.jpg</photo0><caption0>Huber Breaker </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Jerry Lynott</p><p>jlynott@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Jerry Lynott at 570-991-6120 or on Twitter @TLJerryLynott</p></shirttailMeta></div>

PA DEP goes to court again to force compliance in Huber Breaker cleanup