LUZERNE COUNTY, Pa. — Municipalities are teaming up in Luzerne County to begin stronger enforcement on businesses, making sure they are keeping employees safe.
This will especially involve industrial parks in the Hazleton area and in the Nanticoke area.
The team effort is calling it Regional Code Enforcement. It includes a team visiting these employers and inspecting the conditions there.
Most small businesses have been forced to close because of COVID-19, but not the industrial parks sprinkled throughout Luzerne County.
"I took a ride through our industrial park over the weekend, and some of our larger facilities had in the neighborhood of 600 to 700 cars in their parking lots," SAID Hanover Township Manager Sam Guesto.
Some employees have sent complaints to local leaders saying their employers at these parks are not following the safety guidelines mandated by the state Department of Health.
State Representative Tarah Toohil says she's fielding a lot of these complaints.
"You're allowing people with 800 workers to work on top of each other spreading a virus, and then there's no enforcement," said Rep. Tarah Toohil, (R), 116th District.
Now, 30 municipalities are teaming up in Luzerne County to begin stronger enforcement on businesses, making sure they are keeping employees safe.
Some companies, including Cargill Meats, have voluntarily closed for a week to help comply and slow the spread of COVID-19 and are paying close to 900 employees to stay home.
"We want to thank them for doing that. We're hoping more industrial plants will follow their lead," Rep. Toohil said.
For those remaining open, this new regional enforcement team will be visiting employers and inspecting the conditions there on a regular basis. There is also a website for employees to submit complaints anonymously.
"I think our corporate partners are responding very well. We want to make sure that is across the board. If there are bad actors in our communities and industrial parks, we want to make sure they are held responsible," said State Senator John Yudichak, (I), 14th District.
If you have a complaint about an employer in Luzerne County, you can get more information here.