WEATHERSFIELD Commission amends zoning law

Township officials want to make sure there are no problems with landfills.
MINERAL RIDGE -- The Weathersfield Township Zoning Commission has created regulations governing construction and demolition debris storage areas.
The five-member commission voted unanimously Wednesday to approve the amendments to township zoning law. The Trumbull County Planning Commission approved the zoning amendment beforehand, and now the measure must go to township trustees for final approval.
Township administrator Dave Pugh said there are no debris dumps in the township, but the commission wants to avoid problems in the future.
He explained that because the township is so near Interstate 80 it makes the township a desirable spot for a landfill. That's because much of the material finding its way into demolition debris dumps in Ohio gets shipped in by truck from out of state.
"We didn't want to be caught in a situation where we had no regulations, " Pugh said.
Changes
Under the new regulations, the dumps can be operated only in industrial districts.
In addition, such dumps can be no closer than 1,000 feet from any residential, commercial, school or religious building, and no closer than one mile of any environmentally "natural area," to include any undisturbed, established or re-established areas intended for scientific, recreational or educational purposes and Ohio Department of Natural Resources designated "wet lands."
Other restrictions applying to the dumps include that they cannot cause contamination of any aquifer, stream, river, or potable water source as determined by a hydrologic survey, cannot be within the natural terrain boundaries of a 100-year flood plain as determined by the Trumbull County Engineer, and cannot create a nuisance, hazard, or pollution effect -- visual, olfactory or audio -- or allow water run-off on adjacent properties.
Owners must obtain a certificate from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources that no mine shafts are located beneath the area.
Site material management regulations include that all material presented for storage at the site shall be open for inspection by a township representative before being accepted for off-loading; material will be accepted only for permanent storage; hazardous materials will not be accepted; and material received will be covered with earth the same day it arrives.
If a site is closed, all materials will be covered with dirt to integrate with the surrounding natural terrain. All filled-in and covered excavations will be replanted or reforested to blend in with the local vegetation.
Materials can be received only between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.