TRUMBULL COUNTY Legislation would tighten landfill licensing

By DENISE DICK
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
LEAVITTSBURG -- Believing Ohio laws regulating construction and demolition debris landfills are lax, state Sen. Marc Dann is reintroducing legislation that would change licensing procedures.
The bill, introduced last year by Sen. James E. Carnes of St. Clairsville, passed the Senate in last year's session but didn't come to a floor vote in the House, Dann said.
He reintroduced the bill Monday.
"The restrictions are strict in the state of Ohio for solid waste landfills, but there are lax restrictions on construction and demolition debris landfills," he said.
The senator said that while working with residents of Warren Township to address the hydrogen sulfide stench emanating from Warren Recycling Inc.'s C & amp;DD landfill, he was surprised at the few requirements for opening such a facility.
A C & amp;DD landfill must be at least 100 feet from all residences and cannot be located on an aquifer, Dann said, adding that more restrictions are needed.
Proposed legislation
His legislation would replace a license fee with a disposal fee, meaning companies would be charged per tonnage rather than a flat rate. That would help local boards of health and the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency with enforcement costs.
"It would also require background checks for the operators of a proposed facility," Dann said.
Public meetings in the community of intended location would be another requirement, he said. A facility would be required to locate at least 1,000 feet from a water supply well, 300 feet from the facility's property line and at least 500 feet from a school.
Lordstown Mayor Arno Hill said he'd like to see Ohio's restrictions parrot those of Pennsylvania since companies in New York and New Jersey truck their debris across that state to dump in Ohio.
Trying to stop landfill
Lordstown is trying to prevent Lordstown Construction Recovery, a subsidiary of Lafarge North America, from operating a C & amp;DD landfill on Newton Falls-Bailey Road.
Hubbard Township Trustee Fred Hanley also believes stricter requirements are needed. His township is concerned that a Maryland company wants to establish a C & amp;DD landfill on 264 acres of the old Midwest Steel property on Mount Everett Road Southeast.
denise.dick@vindy.com