Stark board takes no action on landfill

By Bob Downing
The Akron-Beacon Journal

PLAIN TWP - Delegations from Tuscarawas County and from the Countywide Recycling & Disposal Facility came to Thursday's meeting of the Stark County Health Department board, but their voices weren't heard.

The board took no action and accepted no public comment on a recommendation from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency concerning Countywide's landfill in southern Stark County.

The Tuscarawas delegation included the three county commissioners and members of Club 3000, a grass-roots group that has been fighting the 258-acre landfill in Pike Township. Officials of landfill owner Republic Waste Services of Ohio and its attorney were on hand to represent Countywide.

On Wednesday, Ohio EPA Director Chris Korleski released a letter urging the Stark County board to deny Countywide its 2007 operating permit because an underground fire at the landfill is causing odor and other problems.

But Korleski left the door open for the EPA and the company to negotiate an agreement that would allow the landfill to remain open.

Stark County Health Commissioner William J. Franks said the board intends to follow its "legal process and policies'' and it could be several months before a decision is reached on the operating permit.

Deborah Dawson, an assistant Stark County prosecutor, said the health board will gather testimony and conduct formal hearings and it would be "highly inappropriate'' for the board to listen to comments now.

To get an operating license, a landfill must be in substantial compliance with state environmental rules or be on a legally binding schedule to achieve compliance.

The company has maintained that the problems at Countywide are being caused by buried aluminum wastes reacting with water and not a by fire.

However, an expert hired by the Ohio EPA determined that a chemical reaction has been taking place at the landfill since late 2005 and that may have ignited a smoldering fire in buried trash.

Todd Thalhamer, the California-based expert, said the fire and chemical reaction could damage the landfill and engineers must assess whether any damage has occurred to the synthetic liner or the leachate and gas collection systems.

View original article.

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Countywide Landfill's annual operating license
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