Stark landfill to pay $1 million plus and close 88 acres
BY M.L. Schultze
The Canton Repository
PIKE TWP - Countywide Recycling and Disposal Facility has agreed to pay more than $1 million in fines and relief and to close the original part of its Pike Township landfill.
The Ohio EPA announced the agreement this morning.
The landfill faced revocation of its license after an EPA consultant, Todd Thalhamer, and the EPA’s new director, Chris Korleski, concluded that more than a year of stench and gas emanating from the landfill was caused by two large underground fires.
They believe that the fire started when hundreds of thousands of tons of aluminum dross — waste created during recycling — buried in the landfill came into contact with hundreds of thousands of gallons of liquid waste runoff.
That started a chemical reaction that generated extremely high temperatures and carbon monoxide gas, and began burning through municipal waste mixed throughout much of the original 88 acres of the landfill.
Under the findings and orders that Countywide’s owner, Republic Services, agreed to today, the EPA said Countywide is on a “rigid 60-day schedule to develop and submit fire suppression recommendations” that two EPA consulting experts will review.
“Republic Services also will pay over $1,000,000 in fines and financial relief,” the EPA said, including $250,000 to an account that will be called “the Community Benefit Project Fund.” The EPA will ask people in the community to develop criteria on how the fund will best benefit nearby communities.
Beyond that, Countywide must revise the plan it came up with to control the odor, and must determine if the fire has damaged it gas wells and other controls, consider expanding its gas control system and sample air quality weekly.
It also must close its original 88 acres, though it can continue to use the expanded acreage it began to develop two years ago. Three years ago, Countywide got the OK to triple its size to 258 acres.
The Canton Repository
PIKE TWP - Countywide Recycling and Disposal Facility has agreed to pay more than $1 million in fines and relief and to close the original part of its Pike Township landfill.
The Ohio EPA announced the agreement this morning.
The landfill faced revocation of its license after an EPA consultant, Todd Thalhamer, and the EPA’s new director, Chris Korleski, concluded that more than a year of stench and gas emanating from the landfill was caused by two large underground fires.
They believe that the fire started when hundreds of thousands of tons of aluminum dross — waste created during recycling — buried in the landfill came into contact with hundreds of thousands of gallons of liquid waste runoff.
That started a chemical reaction that generated extremely high temperatures and carbon monoxide gas, and began burning through municipal waste mixed throughout much of the original 88 acres of the landfill.
Under the findings and orders that Countywide’s owner, Republic Services, agreed to today, the EPA said Countywide is on a “rigid 60-day schedule to develop and submit fire suppression recommendations” that two EPA consulting experts will review.
“Republic Services also will pay over $1,000,000 in fines and financial relief,” the EPA said, including $250,000 to an account that will be called “the Community Benefit Project Fund.” The EPA will ask people in the community to develop criteria on how the fund will best benefit nearby communities.
Beyond that, Countywide must revise the plan it came up with to control the odor, and must determine if the fire has damaged it gas wells and other controls, consider expanding its gas control system and sample air quality weekly.
It also must close its original 88 acres, though it can continue to use the expanded acreage it began to develop two years ago. Three years ago, Countywide got the OK to triple its size to 258 acres.
View original article.
View related articles:
Ohio EPA Orders Countywide Landfill to Take Tougher Actions to Control Odors
Director's Findings and Orders for Countywide Landfill
Ohio EPA Recommends Stark County Propose to Deny
Countywide Landfill's Annual Operating License
Landfill fire expert Todd Thalhamer's report to the EPA
View related articles:
Ohio EPA Orders Countywide Landfill to Take Tougher Actions to Control Odors
Director's Findings and Orders for Countywide Landfill
Ohio EPA Recommends Stark County Propose to Deny
Countywide Landfill's Annual Operating License
Landfill fire expert Todd Thalhamer's report to the EPA
