A final decision for a composting facility in Northampton County has been pushed back another month.

Upper Mount Bethel Township Supervisors were expected to render a decision on the proposed McGill Environmental Services composting facility Monday night but another long night of testimony forced them to push the date back until August 20.

McGill is proposing a site to manufacture compost from sewage sludge on a 56-acre site south of Portland off River Road.  It would employ about 25 people.

On Monday, commissioners grilled McGill's Nole Lyons about whether the sludge would ever make it off the plant site.  One commissioner, Bob Gehrig, worried it could contaminate the Delaware River.

Lyons said it would not.  He also testified, under oath, that there would not be a smell emitted by the facility.

Residents with property close to the site were also allowed to question Lyons.

“The people have a right to clean air, pure water, and to the preservation of the natural, scenic, historic and esthetic values of the environment,” said Doris MacPherson  “Our township should not be known as the sewage sludge recipient."

Another resident who objects to the plan is Ron Angle.  He spent more than an hour questioning Lyons.  Angle says Lyons has not been consistent with his testimony over the course of the three hearings.

The DEP requires companies to test their sludge once a month but Angle said Lyons has changed his story as to whether McGill will test once a month or more often.

He also questioned why they want to build on this specific site when, Angle says, there were other sites available.

The next and final hearing is set for August 20 at 7:00pm.