Judge’s ruling a setback for landfill expansion

By Mike Taugher
The Contra Costa Times

CONTRA COSTA, CA - Plans to expand a Solano County landfill that accepts about half of Contra Costa's garbage were dealt a blow this week when a judge said environmental concerns were not adequately considered.

The Potrero Hills Landfill, which sits just above environmentally sensitive wetlands in Suisun Marsh, is expected to close in about five years unless it gets approval to expand. The planned expansion would quadruple the size of the landfill and extend its life by about 35 years....Read more.

U.S. government announces settlement over Superfund site

The Akron Beacon Journal (Associated Press)

SAUGET, IL - Twenty-one companies have agreed collectively to pay $2.6 million to help defray the cost of cleaning up a long-closed landfill, the federal government announced Wednesday.

Under terms of the settlement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Justice Department, the companies - including Dow Chemical Co., Procter & Gamble Co., BASF Corp. and Exxon Mobil Corp. - will reimburse the government for the costs of the cleanup....Read more.

County landfill earns uncommon nuisance tag from EPA

By Jeff Martin
The Morning Journal

LISBON — The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has declared a local landfill a public nuisance.

A&L Salvage, the state Route 45 landfill operation that has created a firestorm of complaints over its numerous violations during the past two years, has been cited again, this time for violations regarding hydrogen sulfide emissions and asbestos handling....Read more.

Landfill questions deserve answers

The Canton Repository

PIKE TWP - Regional officials are asking the Ohio EPA reasonable questions about independent testing of conditions at landfills. They are due reasonable answers.

When the board of the Stark-Tuscarawas-Wayne Joint Solid Waste Management District met last week, members talked about whether they want the EPA to use data submitted by the Countywide landfill to determine whether Countywide is following environmental laws. Having landfills do their own testing is standard operating procedure in Ohio....Read more.

Address quality of life issues at Albany dump

The Times Union

Letter to the Editor:

My family lives on Lincoln Avenue, less than half a mile from the dump. The proposal to expand the dump and the attempt to satisfy the Pine Bush Preserve seems to be neglecting one major point: human quality-control issues.

The odor from the dump is never-ending. We can't even sit in our backyard. We wouldn't even think of walking through the Pine Bush, with the odor permeating our every step....Read more.

Expanding dumpsite better than a tax hike

The Times Union

Letter to the Editor:

To not expand the Rapp Road dump would be economical disaster for Albany taxpayers. Extending the landfill into the Pine Bush seems to be the only practical alternative.

If Albany has to haul its garbage to farther locations, it would mean that the taxpayers would have to foot the bill....Read more.

Albany landfill discussion extended 2 weeks

By Kate Perry
The Times Union

ALBANY, NY - The public comment period on the proposed expansion of the Rapp Road landfill was extended by two weeks Friday at the requests of several residents.

The new deadline for public comment is March 10.

The deadline was extended after several people at a packed session Wednesday said residents needed more time to speak on the issue, said Maureen Wren, spokeswoman for the state Department of Environmental Conservation....Read more.

Landfill neighbors denounce plan for expansion

By Kate Perry
The Times Union

ALBANY, NY - Carmelo Privtera, a resident of the Avila retirement community, told a state Department of Environmental Conservation representative Wednesday night what most of the other 200 residents think about the proposed expansion of the Rapp Road landfill.

"Something is rotten in Albany," he said, as two dozen residents from his complex stood to support him, some leaning on canes, during a meeting in the Polish Community Center. "The vile smell barely covers the topic."...Read more.

Dump hearing to target vile odor

By Brian Nearing
The Times Union

ALBANY, NY - Environmentalists and neighbors will square off against city plans to expand the Rapp Road dump into the Pine Bush during a public hearing Wednesday.

Colonie Village Mayor Frank Leak already knows what he is going to say. "What are they going to do about the smell?" the mayor asked Monday. "I'll be at the hearing with my attorney and some of my board members. We are going to keep fighting this."...Read more.

OEPA official tells waste district board that Countywide landfill odor still strong

By BARB LIMBACHER
The Times-Reporter

BOLIVAR – Stench from Countywide Recycling and Disposal Facility remains about as bad as it gets, according to monitors.

“The odor was a level three on Sunday,” with four being the worst, said Bill Skowronski, district chief at the Northeast District office of the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency at Twinsburg.

He gave an update on the odor problem at Countywide during the Stark-Tuscarawas-Wayne Joint Solid Waste Management District board of director’s meeting Friday in the district office at Wilkshire Hills....Read more.

Countywide landfill data mistrusted

BY Robert Wang
The Canton Repository

BOLIVAR - Should the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency rely on data submitted by Countywide landfill?

At a meeting Friday of the Stark-Tuscarawas-Wayne Joint Solid Waste Management District, Tuscarawas County Commissioner Kerry Metzger cited the recent settlement proposal by the Ohio EPA.

Under that proposed agreement, the agency would determine whether Countywide Recycling & Disposal Facility was complying with environmental regulations, based in large part on data collected by the landfill....Read more.

Closed-door meeting set for troubled landfill

By Bob Downing
The Akron Beacon Journal

BOLIVAR - The Stark County Health Department will begin its proceedings on a permit for the Countywide Recycling & Disposal Facility in southern Stark County with a closed-door meeting March 22.

Health department spokesman Kirk Norris made that announcement Friday at a meeting of the Stark-Tuscarawas-Wayne Joint Solid Waste Management District....Read more.

EPA smart to use leverage with landfill

The Canton Repository

PIKE TWP - The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency is in a strong position to negotiate with the Countywide landfill in southern Stark County. It seeks further action to deal with odor and an underground fire that Ohio EPA says is present in the landfill. Countywide operators say there is no fire.

If Countywide cooperates in taking further steps to eliminate problems at the landfill, Ohio EPA Director Chris Korleski says he will withdraw his recommendation that the Stark County Board of Health refuse to renew the landfill's operating license. The Board of Health is in no hurry to act on that recommendation....Read more.

EPA negotiating dump fix

By Bob Downing
The Akron Beacon Journal

PIKE TWP - The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency and the company that owns and operates the Countywide Recycling & Disposal Facility in southern Stark County have begun negotiations on orders to end the problems there.

The two sides huddled on Wednesday and progress was made, though a final agreement was not reached, both sides said.

EPA Director Chris Korleski wants Countywide to take aggressive measures to eliminate an underground fire and odors at the 258-acre landfill in Pike Township....Read more.

Ohio EPA lays the groundwork for landfill negotiations

BY Robert Wang
The Canton Repository

PIKE TWP - State officials held their first meeting Wednesday with people from Countywide landfill's owner to negotiate what the company has to do to keep the government from shutting down the landfill.

Ohio Environmental Protection Agency officials and representatives of Republic Services, owner of the Countywide Recycling & Disposal Facility, met for much of the day at the agency's Columbus headquarters, said agency spokesman Mike Settles. He declined to disclose what each side said....Read more.

Landfill adding second storage tank

The Canton Repository

SANDY TWP - American Landfill is constructing a second 200,000-gallon storage tank to accommodate drainage from a new waste-disposal cell.

The liquid drainage, or leachate, will be pumped into the new steel storage tank at the solid-waste landfill at 7916 Chapel St. SE....Read more.

Lawrence trustees receive request for odor complaints

By BARB LIMBACHER
The Times-Reporter

BOLIVAR - Lawrence Township trustees have received a request for information and documents pertaining to any odor complaints or investigated by the township since Jan. 1, 2005.

The letter requesting the information was sent by Jason Perdion, an attorney with Baker and Hostetler LLP, Cleveland attorneys for Republic Waste Service of Ohio. A copy of the letter was sent to Tim Vandersall, general manager of Countywide Recycling and Disposal Facility located in Pike Township, Stark County....Read more.

Environment officials worried years about type of aluminum waste now found at Countywide

BY Robert Wang
The Canton Repository

PIKE TWP - Countywide landfill accepted hundreds of thousands of tons of aluminum waste at a time when federal and state agencies were concerned about environmental problems that waste was causing elsewhere.

The waste is called aluminum dross. Countywide Recycling & Disposal Facility in Pike Township took in large amounts of it from a Barmet Aluminum foundry in Uhrichsville from 1993 through 2001....Read more.