Miami Student

Issue date: 4/3/09 Section: Community

Rumpke plans to expand its landfill by 59-acres along I-275, adding 30 years to the landfill's lifespan.

Rumpke Sanitary Landfill, Inc. wants to expand its landfill off U.S. Route 27 all the way to I-275, but Colerain Township is fighting Rumpke's wishes.

Colerain Township is appealing a Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas March 6 decision that ruled Rumpke as a public utility, allowing the landfill the right to expand. As a public utility, Rumpke is not subject to Colerain Township zoning regulations.

The Hamilton County judge declared Rumpke is a public utility because it provides an essential service to the public, according to Amanda Pratt, Rumpke's communication director.

However, Colerain residents feel they have dealt with the Rumpke landfill long enough.

"We feel that the judge made a bad decision," said Colerain Township Trustee Bernard Fiedelday. "We don't agree with it."

The main concern of Colerain's board of trustees is the court's ruling will allow landfills to be put anywhere in the state of Ohio regardless of city regulations, Fiedelday said.

"(The judge's ruling) doesn't affect only Colerain Township, it affects every community in Ohio," Fiedelday said.

Out of the 206-acre expansion Rumpke is requesting, the landfill would extend 59-acres along I-275, Pratt said, adding 30 years to its existence.

Rumpke serves an area with a 60-mile radius including 2 million residents and 20,000 businesses, Pratt said. Rumpke has a long history serving the community, dating back to the early 1930s, according to Pratt.

"It's very important for us to keep continuing to work with Colerain Township," Pratt said.

According to Pratt, Rumpke pays tipping fees of $1 million per year to Colerain Township. The expansion would pay $29 million to Colerain over the additional 30 years, she said.

"Everyone depends on Rumpke … it's an essential service to Hamilton County," Pratt said.

Jeff Ritter, president of Colerain Township board of trustees, said the expansion would extend the life of the landfill, but it would be a temporary fix. Once the landfill is finally full, the land will be vacant and useless, he said.

"After (the landfill) closes, the land is useless and won't generate anything for the township," Ritter said.

In addition to storing garbage, Rumpke also converts methane into natural gas, which benefits 25,000 homes in the area, Pratt said. The methane also provides 7 percent of Duke Energy's local natural gas supply.

The Colerain Township v. Rumpke lawsuit started in 2006 after Rumpke presented its 206-acre eastern expansion project to Colerain Township's department of planning and zoning, Pratt said. After Colerain Township denied zoning for the project, Rumpke filed a lawsuit.

Colerain Township appealed to the Court of Appeals for the first appellate district and a final decision may take as long as one to three years to reach, Pratt said.

Ritter said Colerain Township trustees feel they were not able to present their full case due to the motion for summary judgment and that the Hamilton County judge only ruled on one factor of the case.

"At least we'll have a trial so our voice can be heard," Ritter said.

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