Regulators issued permit violation notices at landfills operated by national companies at multiple sites over the last month. In at least one case, that threatened an ongoing expansion approval process.
In Texas, a new public landfill opened, while private landfills in other parts of the country faced challenges getting expansions approved. Below is a selection of landfill news from the past month.
Florida town threatens Waste Connections’ landfill permit over odor
The city of Bushnell, Florida, has given Waste Connections until Dec. 10 to address odor issues inspectors identified at the company's Heart of Florida Landfill. The town threatened to revoke the landfill's construction and operating permit over odor issues it first identified beyond the landfill's boundary in May, WESH first reported.
The landfill receives approximately 7,500 tons of waste per day, according to Waste Connections. Bushnell granted the landfill its permit in December 2020.
Local officials had received complaints from area residents over odor issues from the landfill. In May, Bushnell inspectors visited a metal recycling facility near the entrance of the landfill when they noticed odors consistent with the working face of the landfill, according to a letter the town sent to Waste Connections. That led the town to conclude odors were “detectable beyond the landfill’s property line.”
The city also cited a compliance assistance offer letter that the Florida Department of Environmental Protection issued to Waste Connections over odor issues. In a response to Bushnell officials, the company said it had cooperated with state officials and submitted a response and is now waiting for the state to close the issue.
The company further noted that it has not received any warning letter, notice of violation or consent order from the state over odor issues, all of which would signify a more serious permit breach.
The December deadline is an extension of a previous notice Bushnell issued to Waste Connections. In a notice of the extension, the town acknowledged the "meaningful corrective and preventive actions" that Waste Connections took in response to Bushnell's letter regarding the odor issues.
Bushnell and Sumter County officials have continued to debate solutions to the landfill’s issues, including Waste Connections’ proposal for a deep injection well for leachate.
Waste Connections was not immediately available for comment.
Middle Point Landfill receives notice of several violations
The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation issued Republic Services' Middle Point Landfill a notice of violation for leachate entering the facility’s runoff at the end of September, WZTV reported. It's the landfill's seventh environmental violation since March, according to the outlet.
The Middle Point Landfill has been embroiled in litigation with local officials this year as Republic seeks an expansion. Murfreesboro officials voted to annex the landfill in July and oppose any landfill expansion. In August, the Murfreesboro City Council rejected a settlement offered by Republic that included several proposed changes to operations to reduce air and water pollution concerns.
The landfill currently accepts about 3,700 tons of waste per day. It's reportedly Tennessee's largest solid waste facility, and has been permitted to accept waste since 1988, according to state records.
This year, Tennessee inspectors have documented issues with the landfill's leachate and runoff ditch system, as well as inadequate litter control. In March, DEC reported the landfill had committed a major violation of its permit for inadequate maintenance of the leachate system.
Republic Services did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the alleged issues or the ongoing expansion negotiations.
Other permitting, expansion and landfill capacity news
- The Benton County Board of Commissioners in Oregon is meeting on Wednesday to discuss Republic Services’ appeal of the county planning commission’s rejection of its expansion proposal for the Coffin Butte Landfill. In a report published last week, county staff recommended officials approve the expansion request with certain conditions.
- WM won approval for an expansion of its McGill Road Landfill in Michigan after earning the support of Jackson County. The expansion will allow the landfill to continue operating for an estimated 13 years. (MLive)
- Regulators at the New York Department of Environmental Conservation denied WM's request to reopen a hazardous waste landfill site in Niagara County. The CWM Chemical Services facility had been closed since 2015, but the company proposed to build a new facility on the site. (WGRZ)
- Waco, Texas, began depositing trash in a new landfill on Oct. 1, replacing an existing landfill operated by the city that was projected to close earlier this year. The new landfill is on a 502.5-acre site and is projected to have enough capacity for 31 years. (KCEN TV)
