EPA official: Odors at Countywide less frequent
By BARB LIMBACHER
The Times-Reporter
BOLIVAR - The odors at Countywide Recycling and Disposal Facility still are being detected but the frequency is going down, Kurt Princic, Ohio Environmental Protection Agency environmental manager at the Northeast District office told the board of directors of the Stark-Tuscarawas-Wayne Joint Solid Waste Management District on Friday.
“We have taken eight separate (odor) surveys in May. The last one was on Memorial Day and we did not detect any odors. I am not saying the odors have gone away completely,” Princic said.
“On two occasions we smelled no odor, three times on a scale of one to four, it was a one, and three times it was between a 1.5 and two. A four is the worst,” he said.
According to OEPA, Countywide has been working to improve the conditions at the landfill and comply with the OEPA orders.
Princic also said requests are being accepted for the Community Benefit Project Fund.
“We want public comments (on) what they would like to see done with the fund,” he said.
According to Princic, the public can make suggestions to the agency about what to do with the $250,000 provided by Countywide Landfill because of the odor problems.
Comments can be submitted to OEPA by June 30 via e-mail at communityfund@epa.state.oh.us or by mail to OEPA, Box 1049 Columbus, 43216-1049. For more information, visit www.epa.state,oh.us/ic/countywide.html.
According to the Web site, when the comment period expires, the suggested projects will be posted on the Web site for another 30 days so that community members can provide comments on specific proposals.
Stark County Health Commissioner William Franks asked the board to consider a request from the district’s policy committee to form a regional solid waste management authority.
A 21-member board would replace the board of directors, which is made up of three county commissioners from each county in the district. The authority would consist of county commissioners (one from each county), individuals from industry, health commissioners, mayors from the largest cities in the district, trustees and individuals from the waste generators in the district.
Wayne County Commissioner Cheryl Noah said a regional solid waste management authority is only formed when it is a single county operation.
Officials from the OEPA said any joint solid waste district in the state is governed by a board of directors made up of county commissioners, and none of the joint solid waste districts are a regional solid waste management authority.
Karl Stroh, a township trustee from Wayne County, suggested the authority at the district’s May policy committee meeting.
Stroh said he proposed the idea after looking at Hamilton County, which has a solid waste management authority in place. He said it would take the politics out of any decisions.
The next board meeting will be held July 6 at 9:30 am.
The Times-Reporter
BOLIVAR - The odors at Countywide Recycling and Disposal Facility still are being detected but the frequency is going down, Kurt Princic, Ohio Environmental Protection Agency environmental manager at the Northeast District office told the board of directors of the Stark-Tuscarawas-Wayne Joint Solid Waste Management District on Friday.
“We have taken eight separate (odor) surveys in May. The last one was on Memorial Day and we did not detect any odors. I am not saying the odors have gone away completely,” Princic said.
“On two occasions we smelled no odor, three times on a scale of one to four, it was a one, and three times it was between a 1.5 and two. A four is the worst,” he said.
According to OEPA, Countywide has been working to improve the conditions at the landfill and comply with the OEPA orders.
Princic also said requests are being accepted for the Community Benefit Project Fund.
“We want public comments (on) what they would like to see done with the fund,” he said.
According to Princic, the public can make suggestions to the agency about what to do with the $250,000 provided by Countywide Landfill because of the odor problems.
Comments can be submitted to OEPA by June 30 via e-mail at communityfund@epa.state.oh.us or by mail to OEPA, Box 1049 Columbus, 43216-1049. For more information, visit www.epa.state,oh.us/ic/countywide.html.
According to the Web site, when the comment period expires, the suggested projects will be posted on the Web site for another 30 days so that community members can provide comments on specific proposals.
Stark County Health Commissioner William Franks asked the board to consider a request from the district’s policy committee to form a regional solid waste management authority.
A 21-member board would replace the board of directors, which is made up of three county commissioners from each county in the district. The authority would consist of county commissioners (one from each county), individuals from industry, health commissioners, mayors from the largest cities in the district, trustees and individuals from the waste generators in the district.
Wayne County Commissioner Cheryl Noah said a regional solid waste management authority is only formed when it is a single county operation.
Officials from the OEPA said any joint solid waste district in the state is governed by a board of directors made up of county commissioners, and none of the joint solid waste districts are a regional solid waste management authority.
Karl Stroh, a township trustee from Wayne County, suggested the authority at the district’s May policy committee meeting.
Stroh said he proposed the idea after looking at Hamilton County, which has a solid waste management authority in place. He said it would take the politics out of any decisions.
The next board meeting will be held July 6 at 9:30 am.
