Club 3000 - Ohio Landfills

12/28/2007 - Four US EPA staffers made a site visit to Countywide and requested information on aluminum dross, leachate, slope stability, and other collected data regarding the history of the situation. Tuscarawas County Commissioner Kerry Metzger expressed hope that this was a response to the letter the Joint Solid Waste District sent to the US EPA. See article in the Times-Reporter.

12/18/2007 - Republic Waste Services has put up a website to keep the community and customers updated on the situation at Countywide Landfill. See article in the Times-Reporter.

12/20/2007 - US Representative Zack Space spoke with EPA Region 5 Administrator Mary Gade and her staff in Chicago via teleconference. He was assured that the US EPA is aware of the situation at Countywide and is keeping an eye on things. See article in the Times-Reporter.

12/6/2007 - OEPA Director Chris Korleski’s plan to dewater Countywide Landfill has hit a snag. Liquid is pooling in the gas wells faster than expected, and deadlines have been pushed back to explore other methods of pumping the liquid out. See articles in the Times-Reporter. Article 1 - Article 2

11/29/2007 - Stark County Common Pleas Judge Richard Reinbold ruled in favor of Republic Waste Services, blocking the Stark County Health Department from suspending Countywide’s license until he can look at all the paperwork. He stated “I can’t say the immediacy of harm to residents around the landfill takes precedence over harm to Republic Services of Ohio.” It is not yet known what effect this will have if the Health Department denies Countywide a 2008 operating permit. See article in the Times-Reporter.

11/21/2007 - Stark County Health Commissioner William Franks has decided to recommend that Countywide’s license be suspended. He told Countywide officials that failure to contain or extinguish the underground fire is one of the main reasons for his decision. Republic Services has filed a lawsuit to block the Board of Health from suspending the license, and the first hearing is on November 28. IF the license is successfully suspended, Countywide will have to close. See article in the Times-Reporter.

11/9/2007 - The public meeting with Director Korleski ran longer than expected as residents took this opportunity to air some of their frustrations with the situation. Director Korleski outlined some of his plans, which include “dewatering” the landfill in an attempt to contain the reaction and potentially excavating if that does not work. See article in the Times-Reporter.

11/7/07 - OEPA Director Chris Korleski wrote in a letter to Stark County Health Commissioner William Franks about his frustration with the situation at Countywide. He said he was disappointed that he had not been able to do more about the odor, the fire and the chemical reactions causing them. Officials from Republic Waste still maintain there is no fire and that the landfill is not a danger to human health or safety. See article in the Times-Reporter.

11/3/07 - After an executive session at the meeting of the board of directors of the Joint Solid Waste Management District, Kerry Metzger presented 18 pages of public records concerning Countywide Landfill. The records, which included internal correspondence, emails, a timeline of events, and other information, were submitted by an anonymous source in the OEPA Division of Solid and Infectious Waste Management office in Columbus. The board has agreed to forward the information on to the US EPA for review. Director Korleski responded by saying that he has not yet reviewed the documents but he is “disappointed” that they were released without letting him know first. See article in the Times-Reporter. See the documents here.

10/30/07 - The OEPA has hired a consultant from Illinois to provide “slope stability expertise and review data”. The consultant, Timothy Stark of Stark Consultants, has been assisting the OEPA since the spring. He is studying the effects of the fire on the landfill, including whether or not the landfill liner has been compromised. See article in the Times-Reporter.