Get public input on landfill's future
The Canton Repository
CANTON - Stark County residents who are deeply concerned about the future of the Countywide landfill may not get to speak before the county Board of Health, which has the final say on renewal of the landfill's license. We hope the public is not denied this opportunity.
The board must hold a public hearing if Health Commissioner William Franks recommends closing the landfill. This ensures that Countywide's owners are not denied due process. But if Franks recommends renewing the license, with or without strict conditions that address continuing problems at the Pike Township facility, the board has no legal obligation to take public comments. In that case, we would urge the board to go beyond its obligation and give this important issue a public airing.
The landfill's future is a critical issue to many people. The state EPA wants it closed; a recommendation from Franks to keep it open will concern many more people than a recommendation to close it. Countywide's neighbors have suffered through months of odor problems, and problems with trash truck traffic for much longer. Some of the people they have elected to represent them in Columbus also are concerned.
These people would want to know the conditions under which the board might allow Countywide to continue operating. What requirements would the board set for solving the problem that has caused the odor? What would the monitoring requirements be? Would there be deadlines? People should have an opportunity to ask questions, give the board information and state their concerns. Perhaps what is proposed would satisfy them. Perhaps it would not, in which case they would want to try to influence the process.
This public involvement doesn't necessarily have to happen, but it should happen. We urge the board to keep in mind the intense public interest in this issue and act accordingly.
CANTON - Stark County residents who are deeply concerned about the future of the Countywide landfill may not get to speak before the county Board of Health, which has the final say on renewal of the landfill's license. We hope the public is not denied this opportunity.
The board must hold a public hearing if Health Commissioner William Franks recommends closing the landfill. This ensures that Countywide's owners are not denied due process. But if Franks recommends renewing the license, with or without strict conditions that address continuing problems at the Pike Township facility, the board has no legal obligation to take public comments. In that case, we would urge the board to go beyond its obligation and give this important issue a public airing.
The landfill's future is a critical issue to many people. The state EPA wants it closed; a recommendation from Franks to keep it open will concern many more people than a recommendation to close it. Countywide's neighbors have suffered through months of odor problems, and problems with trash truck traffic for much longer. Some of the people they have elected to represent them in Columbus also are concerned.
These people would want to know the conditions under which the board might allow Countywide to continue operating. What requirements would the board set for solving the problem that has caused the odor? What would the monitoring requirements be? Would there be deadlines? People should have an opportunity to ask questions, give the board information and state their concerns. Perhaps what is proposed would satisfy them. Perhaps it would not, in which case they would want to try to influence the process.
This public involvement doesn't necessarily have to happen, but it should happen. We urge the board to keep in mind the intense public interest in this issue and act accordingly.
