Ohio Citizen Action

COLERAIN TOWNSHIP — Neighbors of the Rumpke Sanitary Landfill marked the one-year anniversary of the day Rumpke reported an underground fire in the northwest corner of the site to local and state regulators. At an April 1 public meeting attended by 175 people, staff from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, Hamilton County Department of Environmental Services and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reported on the situation and took questions. Since then, communication with residents has been sporadic and research into the fire’s cause, inconclusive. “It’s been a year and we still don’t know what caused this, how to stop it or how long it might go on,” said landfill neighbor and Property Owners Want Equal Rights spokesperson  Nancy Lindemood. “We are very disappointed in this lack of answers, solutions or progress,” she said.

The fire at Rumpke is one of four underground landfill fires in the state of Ohio, including one in Stark County which has been burning since 2006. Besides being extraordinarily difficult to extinguish, underground fires can lead to increased air pollution and risk of explosion and landslides. They can also melt the plastic leachate collection equipment and plastic liners designed to protect groundwater. Underground fires are often sparked by reactions between different types of decomposing waste.  Despite review of Rumpke’s records of waste buried in the vicinity, U.S. EPA scientists have not yet reproduced in the laboratory the conditions which could have led to the fire.

Property Owners Want Equal Rights and Ohio Citizen Action launched a good neighbor campaign with Rumpke in April 2010. The campaign aims to stop the landfill in Colerain Township from nearly doubling in size, promote waste reduction and recycling programs to reduce the region’s dependence on landfills and support the rights of communities, not companies to determine waste management strategies.

— Melissa English, Southern Ohio Campaign Director, Ohio Citizen Action

Timeline of the Rumpke fire

CINCINNATI — “Arriving this week at some Cincinnati households: 96-gal. recycling carts, the first step in the city’s plan to increase recycling and reward people for doing it…

It’s a huge undertaking for the city and Rumpke, from managing the staggered implementation to estimating how many additional collection trucks to buy to keep up with more recyclables. The new collection trucks have automatic lifts that pick up the carts.

But city environmental specialists believe the carts’ bigger capacity and the new RecycleBank rewards program will attract many more recyclers and encourage current ones to recycle more. If so, the city stands to earn more in bonuses for increased recycling tonnage and save big in landfill dumping fees.”

— Jane Prendergast, Cincinnati Enquirer

Read the whole story

CINCINNATI — Neighbors of the Rumpke landfill in Colerain Township reported very strong odors last week. Property Owners Want Equal Rights member Nancy Lindemood said, “Wednesday the odors could be smelled as far south as the YMCA at Cheviot & Poole, (4 miles away). Again Thursday, very strong odors at US 27 & I-275. The lack of answers about the cause of the odors is very concerning.”

Similar recent incidents were traced to work Rumpke was doing at the site of the 11 acre underground fire. Ironically, Rumpke was working to lessen odors related to the fire.  Property Owners Want Equal Rights encourages people who smell the landfill to call the Hamilton County Health Department to complain. The numbers are 946-7879 (during business hours) and 946-7777 (weekends and evenings).

— Melissa English, Southern Ohio Campaign Director, Ohio Citizen Action

COLERAIN TOWNSHIP — For the second time in a month, Colerain Township residents are complaining that their “Enough – No New Landfill” signs have been stolen. The thefts were reported by Crest Rd. resident Paula Schmitt, who also called the Colerain Township police. Ms. Schmitt and two of her neighbors who lost signs were among those whose signs were stolen in late July. “This is getting ridiculous,” Schmitt said, “Who would try to squash our free speech this way?”

— Melissa English, Southern Ohio Campaign Director, Ohio Citizen Action

CINCINNATI — Rumpke plans to increase the waste it accepts from 10,000 tons per day to 12,000 tons per day for the next 90 days. The company made the request, approved by Ohio EPA on July 29, in part to accept contaminated soil from three cleanups: PCB contaminated soil from AK Steel’s Dicks Creek cleanup, a stream clean up by Duke Energy and incinerator ash from the combustion of sewage sludge at the Metropolitan Sewer District.

Despite status as a municipal solid waste landfill, the Rumpke Sanitary Landfill accepts waste from industrial and commercial customers that falls below certain toxicity thresholds, as defined in the federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. For example, soil contaminated with less than 50 parts per million of PCBs is permitted in municipal solid waste landfills. At higher concentrations, it must be disposed of in locations and with methods consistent with the Toxic Substances Control Act.

— Melissa English, Southern Ohio Campaign Director, Ohio Citizen Action

CINCINNATI — A local, non-profit recycling group invites artists, students, educators and recyclers to pick up free design samples and materials they have collected from area architecture and design firms and manufacturer’s representatives. Items include samples of carpet and tile, paint chips and laminate, upholstery, wall covering, glass and metals. All items are free and people may take as much as they wish.

“Take Away Days” are Saturdays from 9am to 1pm from August 28 to September 25 at Linden Pointe, 4801 Montgomery Road in Norwood. ZEROlandfill Cincinnati has diverted 89,500 lbs. of material from the landfill since 2008. For more information, visit ZEROlandfill’s website.

— Melissa English, Southern Ohio Campaign Director, Ohio Citizen Action

CINCINNATI — Three two-hour classes will be offered by the Hamilton County Solid Waste Management District starting September 23 to learn more about recycling, waste reduction and composting. The course fee is $10 ($15 if received after September 16) and covers instruction and refreshments at three Cincinnati locations. The deadline to register is September 21 and space is limited. For more information or to register, call or email Susan Schumacher, (513) 946-7734.

— Melissa English, Southern Ohio Campaign Director, Ohio Citizen Action

Trish Lanning

COLERAIN TOWNSHIP — Trish Lanning and her neighbors on Struble Rd. have been suffering since February with odors and damage from sewage in their basements. The Metropolitan Sewer Distrct has identified one source as  leachate from the Rumpke Sanitary Landfill. Leachate is created when rainwater filters through garbage and picks up toxins from household waste like batteries, pesticides, paint and cleaners. Leachate can contain toxins that can cause cancer, organ damage and reproductive and developmental disorders.

Rumpke collects leachate in storage tanks, which are then released to the city sewers and processed at Metropolitan Sewer District treatment plants. Rumpke ties into the sewer system near the I-275 overpass on Struble Rd.  A similar incident in May 1970 (read part 1 and part 2 of article) resulted from installation of a pump to drain Rumpke’s open leachate lagoon into the sewers. Ms. Lanning has been working with representatives of the Metropolitan Sewer District and Rumpke to determine and eliminate the cause of the back up, which has not only been a nuisance, but has damaged her property and potentially endangered her family’s health.

— Melissa English, Southern Ohio Campaign Director, Ohio Citizen Action

CINCINNATI — Letters are pouring in urging Rumpke Senior Vice President Jeff Rumpke not to expand the 509 acre landfill known as Mount Rumpke. Many of the 2,522 handwritten letters, phone telewires and children’s pictures express support for increasing recycling and reducing waste as alternatives to nearly doubling the size of the landfill, which has steadily encroached upon the community since 1945.

— Melissa English, Southern Ohio Campaign Director, Ohio Citizen Action