MIDDLESEX TWP — Twice this year, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection approved the operations of a landscape business that this week received criticism from neighboring homeowners.

Wednesday night, several residents from on and around Kilgallen Road complained to the township's supervisors about Endless Summer Supply, a landscaping company on Route 8 that sits adjacent to their road.

Residents accused the company of letting water carry dyes from its stock of mulch into their neighborhood. They also said the company burned masses of materials in manners they believed illegal.

However, this wasn't the first time this year that a government agency received such complaints about the company — and last time, environmental inspectors visited the site, performed tests, and cleared it.

“People have been checking up on us quite a bit, because of concerns from the neighbors,” said Kory Wood, the company's owner. “We're in compliance.”

Indeed, the DEP provided its full complaint record for the business to the Eagle. Their inspectors handled two complaints, both from this year.

The first came in late January. The complainant said the company dyes mulch late in the evening, and that run-off carries the dye down a culvert, into a retention pond and eventually into a nearby stream.

This description matches the complaint which Kilgallen resident Robert Schaffer gave to the township board Wednesday night.

“They put the mulch out in front and they dye it,” Schaffer said. “When it rains, the dye runs down along the road. It turns to this tarlike consistency.”

A DEP inspector visited the site one day after the complaint was filed, according to DEP records.

“I investigated this complaint on 1/29/2019,” the report reads. “No evidence of dye in storm water run-off. I discussed the complaint allegations with facility owner. Owner stated that no dyeing occurs on site — no dyeing equipment or dye was observed on site. All dyed mulch is purchased from other companies and is brought on site for retail sale.”

The report also noted that the retention pond indeed empties into a nearby stream. The company's stormwater permit authorizes use of the stream, which is a tributary to Glade Run.

“Stream both up and downstream of discharge point looked the same,” the report said.

DEP received the second complaint May 13. The complaint, which was filed electronically May 7, said that “massive burning of toxic materials was observed” releasing an “acrid black smoke” in “giant plumes.”

An inspector visited May 15 and toured the site looking for evidence of burning. Throughout the whole site, they found only a burn barrel with about 10 inches of ash in the bottom. Wood told the inspector that they burn office paper in it every few weeks.

“Mr. Wood and I discussed the solid waste management act pertaining to burning,” the report states. “Mr. Wood agreed to stop all burning and the burn barrel was removed during the inspection.”

Different inspectors conducted the two inquiries.

Wood said they took care to construct an oversized retention pond that matched specifications for a facility that handles mulch. He said even the enormous amount of recent rain didn't disrupt its function.

“We've never had any issue with water going over the emergency spillway,” Wood said. “It's never even come close. We've been monitoring it closely.”

Wood did not allow the Eagle to enter the property Friday to inspect the pond.

Wood said he thinks the neighbors are simply frustrated with increasing commercial development near their homes.

“The houses have been there for quite some time, but they're right up against Route 8,” Wood said. “They're by an industrial area.”

His business cleared woods from the land about three years ago for their operations to begin. They were previously called United Landscape Supply, according to the company's website, and some of the records referenced in this article use that name.

One resident Wednesday told supervisors that they feel boxed in by new development in the area. The group of residents plan to attend a zoning meeting next week to protest another nearby development, this time of a storage unit facility.

Township manager Travis Cavanaugh didn't want to comment about the situation on Kilgallen, but he said they were looking into it. As zoning officer, he was directed Wednesday to look into the neighbors' complaints.