State Correctional Institution – Fayette

Last updated
State Correctional Institution - Fayette
Seal of the Department of Corrections of Pennsylvania.svg
State Correctional Institution - Fayette
Location Luzerne Township, Fayette County,
near Centerville, Washington County, Pennsylvania
StatusOpen
Security classMaximum security
Capacity2,034 [1]
OpenedSeptember 2003
Managed by Pennsylvania Department of Corrections
Warden Mark Capozza

The Fayette State Correctional Institution is a 2,000 bed maximum-security prison located in a remote section of Fayette County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The prison is located southeast of Pittsburgh and was built to replace two institutions [1] (SCI-Waynesburg and SCI-Pittsburgh) to make the Commonwealth's prison system more energy-efficient. It is the only prison in the Commonwealth where Pennsylvania license plates are manufactured, holding that distinction since 2003. [2]

Contents

Construction of SCI-Fayette

The $125 million, 238-acre (96 ha) facility was constructed on land that was formerly the site of one of the largest coal operations in the world, where coal from nearby mines was washed and shipped away. The institution covers 692,000 square feet (64,300 m2) under roof and 53 acres (21 ha) within the perimeter fence. [3] The construction of the prison included a sewage treatment plant [1] for the prison and neighboring communities in the township.

Inmate Exposure to Toxic Coal Waste

In 2014, a report published by the Abolitionist Law Center found more than 80 percent of inmates were suffering from symptoms related to exposure to coal ash, including respiratory, throat, and sinus conditions, gastrointestinal problems, and adverse skin conditions. Unlike reports of health problems at other state prisons in Pennsylvania, most SCI Fayette inmates responding in the investigation said symptoms didn’t appear until after their arrival at SCI Fayette.

The prison is located next to a 506-acre coal ash dump operated by Matt Canestrale Contracting (MCC) since 1997. The dump receive coal ash waste from coal-fired power plants throughout the region. The former owner of the dumpsite as well as the land the prison is built on filed for bankruptcy in 1994. MCC purchased the 1,357-acre property in 1996 and entered into an agreement with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to begin site reclamation. The dumpsite was then restricted to its current 506 acres and 237 acres were transferred to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for the building of SCI Fayette. [4]

MCC’s reclamation plan was to “cap” the preexisting coal refuse dump by spreading flue gas desulfurization (FDG) sludge (a liquid form of coal ash) over the area to create a barrier which would prevent rainwater from leaching chemicals into the soil, surface water and groundwater. The FDG cap would then be covered with a mix of coal ash and topsoil. Coal ash and topsoil were also used to stabilize a dam which was holding back a large pond of coal slurry. The dam was categorized as a “high hazard” meaning its failure is “likely to cause loss of human life”. [5]

The Pennsylvania DEP currently allows MCC to dump 416,000 tons of coal ash per year, however MCC reportedly entered into agreement with FirstEnergy in 2017 to dump more than 3 million tons of coal ash and scrubber waste on the site per year. Additionally, MCC has routinely been in violation of state and federal law over its 17 years of operation. Most notably, is MCC's perpetual violation of the Air Pollution Control Act which prohibits allowing particulate matter to leave the boundaries of the dumpsite. Ash is regularly seen blowing off the site or out of haul trucks and collecting on houses of local residents and on prison grounds. [6]

Particulate matter like coal ash is extremely dangerous to human health as course particles can reach the upper respiratory tract and cause issues there, and very fine particles can enter the bloodstream and wreak havoc throughout the body. In addition to this, coal ash contains numerous harmful constituents including mercury, lead, arsenic, hexavalent chromium, cadmium, boron, and thallium. These chemicals have been shown to cause or contribute to skin, eye and throat irritation, asthma, emphysema, hypertension, anemia, heart problems, nervous system damage, brain damage, liver damage, stomach and intestinal ulcers, and many forms of cancer including skin, stomach, lung, urinary tract, and kidney cancers. Despite this, the EPA does not classify coal ash as a hazardous waste, and in Pennsylvania coal ash is authorized for “beneficial use” in reclamation projects like the one at MCC’s dump. [7]

A rally to raise awareness and to call for the shutdown of SCI Fayette was held Sept. 19 outside Philadelphia’s historic Eastern State Penitentiary, birthplace of the modern U.S. prison system. The event, attended by around 50 people, was organized by the Pennsylvania Human Rights Coalition to raise awareness of the health impacts of toxic coal ash, as well as fracking wastes, and the link between environmental justice and prison abolition. [8]

Notable inmates

Inmate NameRegister NumberStatusDetails
Gilbert Newton IIIQN0221Serving a life sentence. [9] Convicted of murdering his ex-girlfriend. [10] [11] [12]
Adam Leroy Lane JP7258Serving a life sentence.Murdered 3 people in 2007 before being stopped by two residents of a home he was breaking into. [13] [14] [15] [16] [17]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lignite</span> Soft, brown, combustible, sedimentary rock

Lignite, often referred to as brown coal, is a soft, brown, combustible, sedimentary rock formed from naturally compressed peat. It has a carbon content around 25–35%, and is considered the lowest rank of coal due to its relatively low heat content. When removed from the ground, it contains a very high amount of moisture which partially explains its low carbon content. Lignite is mined all around the world and is used almost exclusively as a fuel for steam-electric power generation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Mifflin, Pennsylvania</span> Borough in Pennsylvania, United States

West Mifflin is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, located southeast of downtown Pittsburgh. The population was 19,589 at the 2020 census. It is named after Thomas Mifflin, 1st Governor of Pennsylvania, signer of the United States Constitution, and 1st Quartermaster General of the United States Army.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Uniontown, Pennsylvania</span> City in Pennsylvania, United States

Uniontown is the largest city in and county seat of Fayette County, Pennsylvania, United States, 46 miles (74 km) southeast of Pittsburgh. The population was 9,984 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Pittsburgh metropolitan area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mine reclamation</span> Process of restoring land that has been mined to a natural or usable state

Mine reclamation is the process of modifying land that has been mined to ecologically functional or economically usable state. Although the process of mine reclamation occurs once mining is completed, the planning of mine reclamation activities occurs prior to a mine being permitted or started. Mine reclamation creates useful landscapes that meet a variety of goals ranging from the restoration of productive ecosystems to the creation of industrial and municipal resources. In the United States, mine reclamation is a regular part of modern mining practices. Modern mine reclamation reduces the environmental effects of mining.

The Khian Sea waste disposal incident was an incident in maritime waste disposal. The Liberian cargo ship Khian Sea was loaded with 14,000 tons of ash from waste incinerators in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in August 1986. After searching futilely for a place to dump the waste, the ship eventually dumped 4,000 tons near Gonaïves, Haiti in January 1988, and the other 10,000 tons in the Atlantic and Indian Ocean in November 1988. Since then, there have been attempts to take the waste from Haiti to somewhere else.

Consol Energy Inc. is an American energy company with interests in coal headquartered in the suburb of Cecil Township, in the Southpointe complex, just outside Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In 2017, Consol formed two separate entities: CNX Resources Corporation and CONSOL Energy Inc. While CNX Resources Corp. focuses on natural gas, spin-off Consol Mining Corporation, now Consol Energy Inc. focuses on coal. In 2010, Consol was the leading producer of high-BTU bituminous coal in the United States and the U.S.'s largest underground coal mining company. The company employs more than 1,600 people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">State Correctional Institution – Graterford</span> U.S. state prison

The State Correctional Institution – Graterford, commonly referred to as SCI Graterford, known prior as Eastern Correctional Institution, Graterford Prison, Graterford Penitentiary, and the Graterford Prison Farm, was a Pennsylvania Department of Corrections prison located in Skippack Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, near Graterford. The prison, located on Graterford Road off of Pennsylvania Route 29, was about 31 miles (50 km) northwest of Philadelphia.

Mecklenburg Correctional Center was a maximum security prison operated by the Virginia Department of Corrections in unincorporated Mecklenburg County, Virginia, United States, near Boydton. It was closed in 2012 due to a decrease in the number of inmates in the Virginia corrections system and expensive ongoing maintenance needs. The 189 acres (76 ha) facility served as a reception and classification facility.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Green waste</span> Biodegradable waste

Green waste, also known as "biological waste", is any organic waste that can be composted. It is most usually composed of refuse from gardens such as grass clippings or leaves, and domestic or industrial kitchen wastes. Green waste does not include things such as dried leaves, pine straw, or hay. Such materials are rich in carbon and considered "brown wastes," while green wastes contain high concentrations of nitrogen. Green waste can be used to increase the efficiency of many composting operations and can be added to soil to sustain local nutrient cycling.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coal combustion products</span> By-products of coal combustion

Coal combustion products (CCPs), also called coal combustion wastes (CCWs) or coal combustion residuals (CCRs), are categorized in four groups, each based on physical and chemical forms derived from coal combustion methods and emission controls:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Health and environmental impact of the coal industry</span>

The health and environmental impact of the coal industry includes issues such as land use, waste management, water and air pollution, caused by the coal mining, processing and the use of its products. In addition to atmospheric pollution, coal burning produces hundreds of millions of tons of solid waste products annually, including fly ash, bottom ash, and flue-gas desulfurization sludge, that contain mercury, uranium, thorium, arsenic, and other heavy metals. Coal is the largest contributor to the human-made increase of carbon dioxide in Earth's atmosphere.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pennsylvania Department of Corrections</span> State agency in Pennsylvania, U.S.

The Pennsylvania Department of Corrections (PADOC) is the Pennsylvania state agency that is responsible for the confinement, care, and rehabilitation of approximately 37,000 inmates at state correctional facilities funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The agency is headquartered in Hampden Township, Cumberland County in Greater Harrisburg, near Mechanicsburg.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">State Correctional Institution – Camp Hill</span>

The State Correctional Institution (SCI) at Camp Hill, commonly referred to as SCI Camp Hill, is a Pennsylvania Department of Corrections prison in Lower Allen Township, Cumberland County, near Camp Hill in Greater Harrisburg. Its current superintendent is Laurel Harry. It has around 3,400 inmates.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">State Correctional Institution – Pittsburgh</span> Prison in Pittsburgh

State Correctional Institution – Pittsburgh was a low-to-medium security correctional institution, operated by the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections, located about five miles west of Downtown Pittsburgh and within city limits. The facility is on the banks of the Ohio River, and is located on 21 acres of land. It was the first prison west of the Atlantic Plain as well as a major Civil War prison in 1863–1864.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">State Correctional Institution – Huntingdon</span> Prison in Pennsylvania, United States

State Correctional Institution – Huntingdon is a close-security correctional facility, located near Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, in the Allegheny Mountains. SCI Huntingdon was, until the reopening of SCI-Pittsburgh, the oldest-operating state correctional facility in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">State Correctional Institution – Forest</span>

State Correctional Institution – Forest is one of two identical correctional facilities in Pennsylvania that were constructed in the beginning of the twenty-first century to hold maximum-security male inmates. SCI Forest is located in the community of Marienville, in remote Forest County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">State Correctional Institution – Cambridge Springs</span>

State Correctional Institution (SCI) Cambridge Springs is a minimum-security correctional facility for females in Cambridge Springs, in Crawford County in northwestern Pennsylvania. The majority of the inmates housed here are nearing their release from prison.

The Kayenta mine was a surface coal mine operated by Peabody Western Coal Company, a subsidiary of Peabody Energy) on the Navajo Nation in northern Arizona from 1973 to 2019. About 400 acres were mined and reclaimed each year, providing about 8 million tons of coal annually to the Navajo Generating Station.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Little Blue Run Lake</span> Artificial lake in Pennsylvania and West Virginia, United States

Little Blue Run Lake or Little Blue Run is the largest coal ash impound in the United States. FirstEnergy owns the site, located in Western Pennsylvania and parts of the Northern Panhandle of West Virginia, and has disposed of billions of gallons of coal waste into the body of water. Several court cases have been brought against the company as a result of the damage caused by the company's practices at the site.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">State Correctional Institution – Phoenix</span> U.S. state prison

The State Correctional Institution – Phoenix is a state prison in Skippack Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, with a Collegeville postal address, in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. Operated by Pennsylvania Department of Corrections, it was named after the phoenix bird.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Fayette residents hope prison holds promise of better future Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Retrieved:5/4/2011)
  2. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette article on PA license manufacture Retrieved 2012-08-07
  3. PA Dept. of Corrections - SCI Fayette webpage(Retrieved: 5/4/2011)
  4. http://abolitionistlawcenter.org/no-escape-bw-1-4mb/
  5. http://abolitionistlawcenter.org/no-escape-bw-1-4mb/
  6. http://abolitionistlawcenter.org/no-escape-bw-1-4mb/
  7. http://abolitionistlawcenter.org/no-escape-bw-1-4mb/
  8. Piette, Betsey (2021-09-24). "Shut down SCI Fayette". Workers World. Retrieved 2024-02-15.
  9. "Inmate/Parolee Locator".
  10. "Police: Man fatally stabs ex-girlfriend at train station". AP News. 2020-07-28. Retrieved 2024-02-15.
  11. "Gilbert Newton III Found Guilty Of Murder Of Ex-Girlfriend Morgan McCaffery - CBS Philadelphia". www.cbsnews.com. 2021-09-29. Retrieved 2024-02-15.
  12. "Man Convicted of Stabbing Ex-Girlfriend to Death Outside SEPTA Station". NBC10 Philadelphia. 2021-09-30. Retrieved 2024-02-15.
  13. "Hunting Humans: Serial Killer Stalks Homes Along Highways". ABC News. Retrieved 2024-02-15.
  14. Jackson, Peter (2010-06-28). "Trucker gets life term for attacks on 2 Pa. women". San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved 2024-02-15.
  15. Ortega, Ralph R. (2008-10-05). "Trucker tells how he killed woman in Bloomsbury". nj. Retrieved 2024-02-15.
  16. "Suspect in homicide charged in York County assault". pennlive. 2008-08-01. Retrieved 2024-02-15.
  17. "Trucker sentenced in Chelmsford home invasion". Boston Herald. 2007-12-11. Retrieved 2024-02-15.
  18. Inmate Locator

40°00′02″N79°59′17″W / 40.00056°N 79.98806°W / 40.00056; -79.98806