Ohio EPA meeting to focus on Apex
By DAVE GOSSETT, staff writerBERGHOLZ - The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency will hold a public information meeting Thursday to detail the status of an application by the Apex Landfill to expand its operations and to answer questions from the public.
The public information session is set for 6:30 p.m. at John Gregg Elementary school.
The Apex operators are seeking a vertical expansion of the existing landfill's air space that would see the height of the solid waste increase from approximately 17.8 million cubic yards to 23 million cubic yards.
The landfill is also requesting permission to increase the facility's authorized maximum daily waste intake from 5,200 tons a day to 10,000 tons each day.
The permit application states the 117.5 acre footprint will be maintained during the proposed expansion.
"This is typical to hold a public information session at this point. If we issue a draft permit in the future we will then hold a public hearing. At that point the public can submit comments for the record regarding the application and the draft permit," explained Jed Thorpe of the OEPA.
The public information session will be held even though the landfill has not yet replied to a letter listing 67 deficiencies in the expansion permit application.
OEPA official Rich Fox said Monday the list of 67 items to be remedied by the landfill operators still needs clarification.
"They have yet to respond to our list submitted to them in September," Fox noted.
According to Craig Walkenspaw, district engineer in the Southeast OEPA Logan office, "out of the 67 deficiencies listed in the 12-page letter sent to the Apex operators, five items are really important. They deal with operational concerns, manpower and equipment and odor controls if the landfill is allowed to expand its operations."
The Sept. 19 letter from Walkenspaw to Apex Operations Manager Rick Barr noted the OEPA, "has completed our initial review of the application, which was found to be deficient and not approvable at this time."
The Walkenspaw letter included two attachments listing the deficiencies.
A number of the cited deficiencies concerned map drawings, plans for leachate collection and the landfill's use of "only two trash compactors per shift. At least a third compactor should be provided."
Walkenspaw also requested Apex define "current best management practices to minimize and abate odors and then project forward to how Apex would effectively minimize odors at the proposed increase."
According to Walkenspaw's letter, "this discussion should include specifics relative to waste exclusions and waste type segregation, odor neutralizing products and their means and rates of application, odor monitoring and response actions for both onsite and offsite, complaint response, phasing and working area development relative to receptors at differing elevations, weather and wind conditions and any other odor control practices."
Fox said his agency is "pushing them (Apex) on their operational odor control issues."
Thorpe also said he can't "envision a scenario where a permit would be issued before the end of the year."
"Apex has been cooperative throughout this process. But this is also the time of the year when the landfill is applying for is annual application to operate. So they are making their case for their expansion permit application as well as their annual operating application," said Thorpe.
According to Ross Patten, chairman of the Apex Environmental Corp., "we are working with the OEPA in order to provide all information to them."
"We will be at the public informational session to listen and to address any issues," said Patten.
Tom Gardner of the Tri-County Concerned Citizens group said residents living in the area of the landfill also will be at the meeting.
"We will ask the same question we have all along. If they can't control the odor problems at the current size, how will they control the odors if they are allowed to double their operations," said Gardner.
"We still have an odor problem today. And we understand that if they are allowed to expand they will have to dig into solid waste already buried in the landfill. That will be pretty bad," predicted Gardner.
(Gossett can be contacted at dgossett@heraldstaronline.com.)
