CITIZEN PRESS RELEASE: Citizens Needed to Attend EPA Hearing, Stop Landfill Expansion

BY JOY WALTERS

The Ohio EPA is hosting an informational and public comment meeting regarding WIN, Waste Innovation’s expansion plans, on Monday FEB 5 at 6 P.M. at Stacy’S Place, 625 Plaza DR. Fostoria.

WIN Waste, formerly Sunny Farms Landfill, is located in Seneca County, near the border of Hancock and Wood Counties. Residents from all counties, including Ottawa and Sandusky as well as the general public, are encouraged to attend the meeting, comment, ask questions and let your voice be heard. Written comments may be made submitted by email to epa.dmwmcomments@epa.ohio.gov or mailed to Ohio EPA DMWM, P.O. Box 1049, Columbus, Ohio 43216-1049, Attention Brian Dearth. The deadline for submitting written comments is Feb 19, 2024

The public meeting will address three permit applications comprising issues of landfill expansion, associated storm water discharges and landfill air emissions. The expansion permit includes a request to relocate 2 million cubic yards of waste from an unlined portion that was the original clay mound. The waste, buried decades ago would be exposed and relocated to a lined section. The relocating of the two storm water ponds and placing them closer to our water source will be increasing health risks. The new gas containment system does not address any expansion concerns.

WIN Waste Innovations, which owns Sunny Farms Landfill, is seeking the Ohio EPA’s approval to expand the landfill from its current 261.3 acres to 479.8 acres, and is requesting approval for a vertical expansion over a 27.4 acre section of the landfill’s North Unit. The expansion would increase the landfill’s daily out-of-state trash receipt from 7,500 tons to 12,000 tons a day. That translates into 300 Semi truck loads currently with an increase to 480 Semi truck loads running 24/7 if the expansion is granted.

Ohio has become the east coasts dumping ground accepting out-of-state waste by rail. Local residents have been fighting to gain the attention of community and state leaders in hopes of gaining more local oversight and protections. Seneca County Commissioners alongside local residents have been fighting to gain more local control of the landfill. The landfill has a long history of noncompliance turning a deaf ear to residents concerns and winning the leniency of the EPA. There is much at stake for local and surrounding communities including the air we breath, the soil we farm and our watershed.

In Northwest Ohio, the primary body of water at the receiving end of the watershed is Lake Erie. According to the Ohio EPA, the Portage River flows into Lake Erie at Port Clinton in Ottawa County. The Watershed is distributed across Ottawa, Sandusky, Hancock and Wood counties with a small portion in Seneca County. Major municipalities partially or fully in the Portage and Toussaint River watersheds include Fostoria, Port Clinton, and Marblehead. The Landfill lies within the vicinity of the Portage River and Toussaint River watersheds and the Sandusky River and Sandusky Bay tributaries watershed. Residents are concerned about the industrial waste and contaminated soil affecting the water quality and fear the worsening negative impact to the environment in their towns.

At a local level in Fostoria, the concerns are great. Fostoria and Arcadia receive their drinking water from a reservoir receiving its water supply from the Portage River. The Portage River starts out less than 500 feet from the landfill, traveling less than 2 miles to be pumped into the reservoirs which then becomes Fostoria and Arcadia’s only water source. Contamination from leachate spills, groundwater SSIs, HAPs, PFAS contamination, blasting, leaking railcars, and lack of waste inspections will leave residents with years of health threat concerns.

A simple google search will reveal that WIN Waste, aka Tunnel Hill and Wheelabrator, also have other complaints and class action lawsuits against them in other areas. In 2013 we had high gas levels that were ignored and the landfill was given an expansion permit. I live about 5 miles north of the landfill and many days and weeks I personally suffered a bloody nose, headache, dizziness and fatigue. Opening the door to exit your vehicle or home was like hitting a wall of horrible noxious odors that left you holding your breath and hurrying to get indoors. Several people living near the landfill were forced to move or sell their homes and family farms.

Because of the close proximity, the landfill became the only perspective buyer of these properties and farms because no one will live there. Family legacy and traditions erased from the history books. An impact study in 2013 could have prevented 15 years of Clean Air Act violations that harm people and cannot be undone. The gas extraction system needed in 2013 was not required until 2019 and they were still given 5 more years to complete the project. This left our community breathing high gas levels and children living in an unhealthy environment. In 2019 a Consent Order happened because our community was so outraged by the living conditions. Thinking we finally were getting help, our hope was shattered when the Attorney General got $1.7 million for the state and in exchange the Attorney agreed to lift Title V.

In regard to the current situation: The new gas containment system does not address any expansion. The system only removes sulfur compounds. We have yet to discover what other HAPs are in the air and have been waiting for comprehensive air quality study since 2017. The community knows full well what we must go through before the OEPA will require more gas containment systems to accommodate for 12,000 tons a day. Will these systems be required to prevent the harmful gas we know is coming?

The 2013 expansion was approved after somehow missing the report of 600,000 tons and they filled up many years earlier than expected. Now, we are promised 2031 as a closure date and we are getting a massive expansion request 7 years too soon? Who is overseeing this foreign investment company if it operates 24/7 even though the host agreement says 6-6 are the agreed upon hours of operation? The enforcement orders from 2013 were never enforced and were nullified in 2019. Why does any company get repeated consent orders going back to 2008?

Substantial compliance means NON compliant. The current status is not in compliance for the yearly rolling tonnage of SO2. The SO2 meters required in the consent order were placed opposite wind direction and on landfill owned property. Our local health department is now footing the bill to install meters that are placed properly and is paying for an impact study.

If the state of Ohio is willing to deal with the devil rather than being the guardian and preserving public health, welfare and safety, then we can all look for bigger problems and more contamination risk to our, air, soil and local watersheds and our great Lake Erie. Ask yourself; do you want Ohio to be the dumping ground for the entire East Coast and home to the largest landfill in the country?

WIN Waste, which now generates more than $1 billion in annual revenue, is comprised of the former Wheelabrator Technologies,; Stamford, Connecticut based City Carting & Recycling and Tunnel Hill Partners; Londonderry, New Hampshire- based Charles George Waste Disposal & Recycling; Westboro, Massachusetts-based United Material Management; and others. wastetodaymagazine.com


PLEASE ATTEND THIS MEETING ON FEB 5TH!
ITS NOW OR NEVER