Would you pay higher trash fees?
BY Robert Wang
The Canton Repository
PIKE TWP - The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency's director is set to decide today what to do with the Countywide landfill, and his decision could affect hundreds of thousands of people in Northeast Ohio.
The director, Chris Korleski, is expected to recommend whether the Stark County Board of Health should suspend the operating license of the Countywide Recycling & Disposal Facility.
The landfill, owned by Republic Services of Ohio, faces the possibility of being closed to new trash, due to its odor problems. And a landfill fire expert told the agency Friday that two fires are burning inside Countywide.
After suffering from odors and years of garbage truck traffic, hundreds of southern Stark and northern Tuscarawas County residents would welcome a decision to shut down Countywide.
But, said the landfill's general manager, Tim Vandersall, "I think our customers would not be very happy with a ruling like that." He said the closure of Countywide could eventually raise waste disposal rates for residents from Stark County to the Lake Erie shore.
WASTE FROM ALL OVER
According to Countywide's annual report for 2005, the landfill accepts waste from 23 Ohio counties. The three that send the most are Cuyahoga County, about 422,409 tons; Stark County, more than 388,400 tons; and Summit County, more than 185,200 tons.
Vandersall said with one less major waste facility to compete with, other landfills could raise their dumping fees, increases that would eventually be passed on to residents and businesses.
In addition, Republic was able to offer the best price to truck away several communities' waste, in part because of Countywide's proximity. If Countywide were to close, several towns would likely have to pay more to transport their waste to a landfill farther away, Vandersall said.
Massillon and North Canton are the only cities in Stark County that have waste disposal contracts with Republic, but the company also hauls away garbage from the curbs of several residents in townships and other cities. Republic brings all that waste to Countywide.
IF IT'S CLOSED ...
If Countywide were to close, "it would impact us quite a bit because we would have to find another landfill to use," said Linda McGill, the collections supervisor for the Massillon Solid Waste Department, whose trucks carry 7,100 tons a year to Countywide for about 4,800 Massillon households and 100 businesses. "My first concern would be it's going to cost us more money because the other landfill is further away."
However, other officials don't expect any immediate effect, because Republic is contractually obligated to take the waste somewhere at current rates, at least for another year.
"We don't have a contract with Countywide. We have a contract with Republic," said Earl Wise, North Canton's city administrator. "If (Countywide) closed tomorrow, Republic's going to pick up the waste and they're going to take it where they're going to have to take it."
The Canton Repository
PIKE TWP - The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency's director is set to decide today what to do with the Countywide landfill, and his decision could affect hundreds of thousands of people in Northeast Ohio.
The director, Chris Korleski, is expected to recommend whether the Stark County Board of Health should suspend the operating license of the Countywide Recycling & Disposal Facility.
The landfill, owned by Republic Services of Ohio, faces the possibility of being closed to new trash, due to its odor problems. And a landfill fire expert told the agency Friday that two fires are burning inside Countywide.
After suffering from odors and years of garbage truck traffic, hundreds of southern Stark and northern Tuscarawas County residents would welcome a decision to shut down Countywide.
But, said the landfill's general manager, Tim Vandersall, "I think our customers would not be very happy with a ruling like that." He said the closure of Countywide could eventually raise waste disposal rates for residents from Stark County to the Lake Erie shore.
WASTE FROM ALL OVER
According to Countywide's annual report for 2005, the landfill accepts waste from 23 Ohio counties. The three that send the most are Cuyahoga County, about 422,409 tons; Stark County, more than 388,400 tons; and Summit County, more than 185,200 tons.
Vandersall said with one less major waste facility to compete with, other landfills could raise their dumping fees, increases that would eventually be passed on to residents and businesses.
In addition, Republic was able to offer the best price to truck away several communities' waste, in part because of Countywide's proximity. If Countywide were to close, several towns would likely have to pay more to transport their waste to a landfill farther away, Vandersall said.
Massillon and North Canton are the only cities in Stark County that have waste disposal contracts with Republic, but the company also hauls away garbage from the curbs of several residents in townships and other cities. Republic brings all that waste to Countywide.
IF IT'S CLOSED ...
If Countywide were to close, "it would impact us quite a bit because we would have to find another landfill to use," said Linda McGill, the collections supervisor for the Massillon Solid Waste Department, whose trucks carry 7,100 tons a year to Countywide for about 4,800 Massillon households and 100 businesses. "My first concern would be it's going to cost us more money because the other landfill is further away."
However, other officials don't expect any immediate effect, because Republic is contractually obligated to take the waste somewhere at current rates, at least for another year.
"We don't have a contract with Countywide. We have a contract with Republic," said Earl Wise, North Canton's city administrator. "If (Countywide) closed tomorrow, Republic's going to pick up the waste and they're going to take it where they're going to have to take it."
