York County Solid Waste Authority (YCSWA) received a visit from the county commissioners and state Sen. Kristin Phillips-Hill on Dec. 20 at the Resource Recovery Center in York. The commissioners and the senator presented YCSWA with citations celebrating its 50-year anniversary and the recent announcement from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection that YCSWA is among 13 recipients of the 2021 Governor's Award for Environmental Excellence. YCSWA received the award for its major improvements to the Resource Recovery Center and Ash Recycling and Processing Facility, as well as the now-closed York County Sanitary Landfill.

Improvements at the Resource Recovery Center included small-load and white goods drop-off areas, yard waste collection and free electronics recycling. The boiler water treatment system was replaced with newer technology, and new air compressors were installed. A new vault now captures surface water runoff that is reused to quench hot combustion ash. A surge tank was installed to collect stormwater runoff from three acres of roof space, and the water supplements cooling tower water.

Improvements were also made to the now-closed sanitary landfill, which has been recycled into a 208-acre wildlife habitat with mowed walking trails. The ash facility now uses new technology to separate metals, aggregates, and sand from combustion ash, reducing ash that must be managed in a landfill by more than 50%. At the landfill, a playground, a pavilion, and sports fields were installed. An 806-panel solar array was installed that provides 300,000 kilowatt hours of electricity annually.

In addition, YCSWA is celebrating 50 years of service to York County. Since receiving the Articles of Incorporation from the state on Dec. 28, 1971, YCSWA had managed more than 15 million tons of waste as of November 2021, with an eye toward preserving the environment. This amount includes waste first managed at the now-closed York County Sanitary Landfill from 1974 through 1989 and at the York County Resource Recovery Center from October 1989 through November 2021.