Landfill restrictions challenged
CANTON - A national waste industry group was in Stark County Common Pleas Court Wednesday asking a judge to void local restrictions on landfills.
At issue are rules set by the Stark-Tuscarawas-Wayne Joint Solid Waste Management District in December.
They include that landfills must minimize odors, dust, noise and vibration. They limit hours of operation and require landfills to monitor groundwater and develop plans for litter collection, odor control and emergency situations.
Another rule, set to take effect next year, would prohibit landfills from accepting waste from other districts with lower recycling rates.
The National Solid Waste Management Assn. says the district doesn’t have the right to impose mandatory rules on landfills. The regulations are vague and arbitrary and will so restrict the amount of waste dumped that the district will go broke, said association attorney Terrence Fay.
Thomas Connors, attorney for the district, said local government has authority to set rules. And with two of the three largest landfills in the state located in the district, there are concerns about the amount of remaining space if recycling doesn’t increase.
The hearing before Judge Richard D. Reinbold Jr. is expected to continue today.
