Published: July 18, 2008 12:06 pm         

State approves landfill expansion

Process to expand Oak Ridge began in 2002

The Oak Ridge Recycling and Disposal Facility was able to close the book last week on a process that has taken six years to complete.

The Indiana Department of Environmental Management Office of Land Quality has approved a permit for the Oak Ridge East expansion project. Notice of Decision was issued on July 9, and the permit will be available online today at www.IN.gov/idem.

The expansion permit had been under review since Jan. 18, 2005, but the process started in 2002 when Oak Ridge sought preliminary approval for the 87-acre expansion from the Cass County Board of Zoning Appeals. Waste Management of Indiana, which owns and operates Oak Ridge, had also recently begun purchasing property in preparation for the expansion and the new facility will be at 2905S 150E south of Logansport.

With all the zoning approvals and other state and local permits necessary for such an expansion, a six-year wait isn’t uncommon.

“IDEM’s job is to protect Hoosiers and the environment,” said Barry Sneed, an information specialist with IDEM’s office of external affairs. “This permit reflects that process working very well.”

Sneed said the permit had been reviewed to ensure that Oak Ridge’s plans met engineering and geological specifications as well as state and federal regulations. Comments received during the public review period, which closed in June, were considered along with other information included in the permit request.

The approved design for the Oak Ridge East facility includes a 3-foot soil liner, surface water management systems and erosion and sedimentation control devices. The full permit is on record at the Logansport Public Library.

Terry Beasy, district manager for both the Oak Ridge facility and Liberty Landfill in White County, could not be reached for comment Thursday.

Dick Hettinger, executive director of the Cass County Solid Waste District, said the expanded facility could be viewed as both a positive and a negative for the city and the surrounding areas. Aside from all the immediate effects brought on by a landfill’s expansion, Hettinger pointed out that all of the recycling programs run through the district are funded directly by the tipping fees collected from Oak Ridge.

“Since the city, the county and the district do get tipping fees for trash that is put into Oak Ridge, they are therefore able to fund various recycling programs,” said Hettinger. “So from that perspective, it is a positive.”

At the time Waste Management began considering the expansion, the Oak Ridge facility was taking in upwards of 45,000 tons of solid waste each month. However, since the company lost the city’s trash removal contract in 2000, that figure has dropped to around 15,000 tons per month.

The amount of incoming solid waste could begin increasing soon as the facility also received approval this year to begin accepting out-of-state trash.

Carla Knapp can be contacted at (574) 732-5150 or via e-mail at carla.knapp@pharostribune.com



Appealing the decision

Anyone who wishes to challenge IDEM’s decision has 15 days to submit a petition for administrative review to the Office of Environmental Adjudication. Petitions can be sent to Indiana Government Center North, Room N501, 100 N. Senate Ave., Indianapolis, IN 46204-2200. Guidelines for submitting a petition are outlined at www.in.gov/oea