MAHONING COUNTY Health board denies 2003 permit for landfill

The OEPA has declared the landfill out of substantial compliance.
By WILLIAM K. ALCORN
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
AUSTINTOWN -- Central Waste, which operates a solid waste landfill on Oyster Road in Smith Township, near Sebring, has been denied a permit to operate in 2003 in a unanimous vote by the Mahoning County Board of Health.
Central Waste has 30 days to appeal the board's order. The action is a result of the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency's declaring the landfill out of substantial compliance for not having a performance bond since August 2000.
The performance bond ensures that should the landfill be closed, it will be monitored and maintained for 30 years, according to OEPA regulations.
Central Waste previously was bonded through Frontier Insurance Co., but Frontier lost its status as an acceptable surety provider and Central Waste has not found another bond company, according to an OEPA document.
Mary Blai, a Central Waste owner, and John Agnew, office manager, refused to comment.
Wants to expand
County health commissioner Matthew A. Stefanak said Central Waste receives about 185,000 tons of waste per year, about 25 percent of it from outside the county and the state.
Central Waste is running out of space and has applied to OEPA for expansion, but Stefanak said there will likely be no decision on that until the bond issue is settled.
He said it is not the health board's intent to close the landfill, but to ensure compliance.
Stefanak said Central Waste, a family-owned business, has had three offers to buy the business. Company officials also refused to comment on its possible sale.