Commissioners: Is EPA moving too slowly on Countywide fire?
The Times-Reporter
BOLIVAR - Tuscarawas County commissioners expressed their disappointment with the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency regarding an ongoing underground landfill fire.
The comments came Friday during and after the board of directors meeting of the Stark-Tuscarawas-Wayne Joint Solid Waste Management District. The issue arose regarding the Oct. 1 letter to officials of Countywide Recycling and Disposal Facility near Bolivar about installing a firebreak as an interim fire suppression measure. OEPA Director Chris Korleski wrote to Countywide officials that the fire is migrating throughout the original 88 acres and possibly into Cell 7, which was the first cell of expansion.
Korleski said to prevent spread of the fire and to avoid adding additional fuel, in the form of waste, to the fire, he ordered that a firebreak be installed. He wants the firebreak installed between Cell 8A, which is currently being filled with waste, and Cell 8B so that it is completely isolated from the rest of the landfill by a horizontal distance of at least the width of the berm used by trucks to leave after dumping trash.
Tuscarawas County Commissioner Kerry Metzger, who also is district board chairman, said after the meeting that he continues to be perplexed by OEPA’s “continued lack of urgency regarding the landfill fire. According to their own admission, it is now migrating throughout the old 88 acres and possibly now spreading into the expansion area.
“Unless the areas being consumed by fires are isolated immediately, the risk is that the fires will continue to spread into the remaining expansion areas not addressed in the director’s interim orders,” Metzger said. “Where is the urgency in addressing this new problem?”
“I am convinced that unless the OEPA begins to address this landfill fire issue in a more expedient way, there is the possibility of the liner being compromised – with the inevitable result being a failure in the liner and contamination of our water supply,” Metzger said.
Korleski based his conclusions on analysis of data received in March, which indicated carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide concentrations, downhole temperatures, landfill settlement, formation and propagations of tension cracks, leachate outbreaks, odors, charred drilling waste, as well as site observations.
Tim Vandersall, general manager at Countywide, said Friday the firebreak will be a valley between the cells. He has heard the mention of placing some dirt on top once the valley is made.
Unless authorized by OEPA, Countywide has only until Oct. 15 to continue dumping into Cell 8A. After that, Countywide may begin putting waste into Cell 8B, provided the landfill has obtained all necessary authorizations, according to the OEPA letter.
Korleski also said that if Countywide wants to install additional firebreaks, he is willing to consider such proposals, but the landfill must proceed to implement this interim remedial action as detailed in the letter.
“The landfill still denies there is a fire and any subsidence,” Tuscarawas County Commissioner Chris Abbuhl told Kurt Princic, OEPA’s environmental manager of the Division of Hazardous Waste and Solid and Infectious Waste Management at Twinsburg. Abbuhl also said that it seems landfill officials believe OEPA is being too restrictive regarding the situation.
“The landfill doesn’t think the Ohio EPA has the expertise to monitor,” Abbuhl said, adding he believes, “There are serious concerns with the liner.”
Princic said OEPA is concentrating on the fire and the liner still is functioning.
“It has not been determined if the liner is compromised,” Princic said.
“The director says the landfill is burning hot,” Abbuhl said.
Princic said a fire expert from Cincinnati will arrive this month and will spend a lot of time at the landfill.
“We are going to physically separate the waste in Cell 8A from 8B. They are not allowed to place any waste in 8B until the valley is made,” Princic said.
When Princic was asked whether it is too late to install a barrier, he said he didn’t know.
After the meeting, Metzger said, “Korleski said in the Oct. 1 letter in order to prevent further spread of the fire and avoid adding additional fuel to the fire, he believes a firebreak should be installed to protect human health, safety and the environment. He then ordered a firebreak, an isolation zone, to be placed between Cell 8A and Cell 8B, the newest cell, and by Oct 15 all disposal of waste ceases in Cell 8A.”
Metzger said the letter also says the firebreak does not completely and physically separate the 88 acres from the current operating cell and may result in the current working and permitted expansion area being consumed by fire.
“If this is the case, then why didn’t he order Countywide to isolate the entire 88 acres, including the area where the fire is spreading into the expansion area?” Metzger said.
Bill Skowronski, chief of OEPA district operations at Twinsburg, said all the information should be gathered from Countywide by the end of this month and then they will look at it.
“There are some things there we have not seen before,” Skowronski said, but didn’t elaborate. “We don’t want anyone to think the work will be completed by the end of October.”
Princic said the leachate system is working at Countywide and they are getting an incredible amount of leachate.
Wayne County Commissioner Scott Wiggam asked why there is more leachate than previously.
Princic said there is more leachate being generated now than before and much more than other landfills in Ohio. He said the fire reaction is generating water.
Vandersall invited the nine county commissioners to visit the landfill any time.
Princic said odor complaints have dropped from 70 in August to 33 in September. He said the odors off-site are more noticeable when drilling is taking place at the landfill.
Countywide had installed four inclinometers on the south and west slope of the landfill. Princic said there is no concern about a catastrophic disaster. He said the middle of the original 88 acres is settling and there is significant cracking.
“We are monitoring the site, and if we thought it was a danger, something would be done. The subsidence was about 30 to 35 feet and it has settled about 10 feet more,” he said.
Abbuhl asked why the landfill is doing the monitoring instead of an independent source.
Princic said Ohio EPA is also present and also monitors the site on weekends.
