Abbuhl stands behind inspection request

By ZACH LINT
The Times-Reporter

BOLIVAR - Tuscarawas County commissioners stood firm Thursday in reaction to a letter Stark County Health Commissioner William Franks drafted earlier this week and mailed to directors of the Stark-Tuscarawas-Wayne Joint Solid Waste District.

Franks’ letter took issue with Tuscarawas County Commissioner Chris Abbuhl’s request that the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency look into how health departments, including those in Stark and Tuscarawas counties, perform their weekly landfill inspections. Abbuhl’s request cited the discrepancy between the number of “notice of violations” issued to landfills by Stark (five) in comparison to Tuscarawas County (more than 80) in 2005 and 2006....Read more.

Records reveal EPA struggle

BY Paul Kostyu
The Canton Repository

COLUMBUS - Months before he showed up in Ohio, a California expert on landfill fires concluded there was an explosive situation at the Countywide landfill in southern Stark County.

“If waste producing own O2 (oxygen) may have O2 rich environment and BOOM!” said a note based on an Aug. 22 telephone conversation between California Environmental Protection Agency official Todd Thalhamer and Ohio EPA official Gina Gerbasi. “Asking for something to explode ... real time data is a must.”...Read more.

Stark dump contains less aluminum

By Bob Downing
The Akron Beacon Journal

PIKE TWP - The volume of aluminum waste that was dumped in a landfill in southern Stark County has, in a way, shrunk.

Countywide Recycling & Disposal Facility, where an underground fire is smoldering, took in about 1 million tons of aluminum dross -- not 13 million tons as has been widely cited.

Republic Services, the Florida-based company that owns and operates the 258-acre landfill, has notified the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency that the 13 million figure is incorrect, EPA spokesman Mike Settles said....Read more.

Stark landfill investigation begins

By Bob Downing
The Akron Beacon Journal

PLAIN TWP - The Stark County Health Department today is beginning its internal investigation into whether the Countywide Recycling & Disposal Facility in southern Stark County should get a 2007 operating permit.

The closed-door hearing, expected to last most of the day, involves Health Department staff members and representatives from Republic Services of Ohio, the owner and operator of the landfill in Pike Township....Read more.

Reader’s Viewpoint: Countywide Landfill has been a bad neighbor

The Times-Reporter

To the Editor:

I have recently read with interest two letters from Countywide Landfill employees pointing out their excellent record of environmental compliance. They have even compared their record to Kimble Landfill’s record.

Ronald Krall stated, “I have not experienced such inequitable attention based purely upon geography.” Guess what Mr. Krall – the attention paid to your facility is not based upon geography – it is based upon stink!...Read more.

Burning trash backs up U.S. 30 for miles

By R. J. Villella
The Massillon Independent

MASSILLON - A load of burning garbage tied up the eastbound traffic on U.S. 30 just west of Massillon for about a half-hour at the height of rush hour Monday morning, backing up motorists almost all the way to Dalton.

“A Republic Waste truck driver noticed his load was on fire and pulled over to the (shoulder) and dumped his load,” Assistant Chief Stephen Collins said. “It was just east of the Ohio 241 exit. It was just outside the city limits but we took care of it anyway. We called a Brewster (Fire Department) tanker to help.”...Read more.

Reader's Viewpoint: Health departments should consistently enforce rules

The Times-Reporter

To the Editor:

The Stark-Tuscarawas-Wayne Solid Waste District Board has discussed in the past violations concerning the landfills in the district, and it has been stated on several occasions at meetings that the Kimble Landfill has a much higher amount of violations than the other two landfills in the district.

The Countywide Recycling and Disposal Facility has also noted in the past that it has very few violations in relation to the Kimble Landfill. It seemed prudent to me to find out what violations each landfill actually had received in the last few years (2005-2006). I requested the information to get an actual number from the respective health departments rather than rely on just general conversation....Read more.

Korleski has been on both sides

BY Paul Kostyu
The Canton Repository

COLUMBUS - It wasn’t until he graduated from Alliance High School that Chris Korleski found his calling. He spent the next five summers in the Ohio Youth Conservation Corps.

“Four days a week, we worked in state forests, parks, wildlife areas on conservation projects,” he said. “Three days a week we were doing environmental education.

“I never looked back. Everything I’ve done in one fashion or another has been related to the environment and protection.”...Read more.

Alliance native directing Ohio EPA

BY Paul Kostyu
The Canton Repository

COLUMBUS - Attorney Christopher Jones, with clients in tow, had to check in recently with security like any other visitor to the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency. But for most who do business with the EPA, it might seem that little has changed since Jones led the agency from 1999 to 2004 as an appointee of former Republican Gov. Bob Taft.

That could have businesses and manufacturers breathing a sigh of relief, while environmentalists hold their breath. No one at the moment has a clear idea of what direction the agency will go under its new director, Alliance native Chris Korleski....Read more.

Water added to waste equals dump debacles

By Bob Downing
The Akron Beacon Journal

PIKE TWP - Each day, several hundred tons of waste arrive at the 1,200-acre Athens-Hocking Landfill near Nelsonville, a small town in Athens County in southeastern Ohio.

As much as a third of that waste may be a grayish powder called aluminum dross, or salt cake.

It's kept in a separate area away from other trash and covered daily with dirt so that it stays dry, protected from rain and snow....Read more.

Landfill owners say they are working to improve conditions, image

By Jeff Martin
The Morning Journal

LISBON - A&L Salvage landfill owners and operators are taking significant steps in reducing those factors leading to operational violations that have recently plagued its reputation.

Stephen Callahan, director of operations for Liberty Waste Services in Pittsburgh, said the company feels the pressure from surrounding residents to improve conditions at the 42-acre site off state Route 45....Read more.

Concerned neighbors meet to discuss landfill problems

By Deanne Johnson
The Morning Journal

LISBON - Surrounding residents affected by the A&L Landfill on state Route 45 met Sunday night at the Taste of Country restaurant to discuss what can be done about their concerns.

The landfill, which often has been found with violations, is awaiting word from the Environmental Protection Agency on its 2007 permit and a permit to expand the site. The possibilities of either permit going through seemed preposterous to many residents at the meeting....Read more.