Smoldering problem

The Akron Beacon Journal

PIKE TWP - Not so fast, the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency has warned the operator of a smelly Stark County landfill. Republic Waste Services of Ohio says it wants to cap 88 acres of the Countywide Recycling & Disposal Facility in Pike Township as the most cost-effective and foolproof way to deal with smoldering underground garbage.

An end to months of obnoxious odors, caused when buried aluminum waste came into contact with landfill liquids, is certainly desirable. But the state EPA's sternly worded letter makes clear that no action should be taken until a permanent remedy has been approved by the agency, which is still reviewing the company's plan.

The tone and substance of the EPA letter are justified, both by the landfill operator's record and the need for a plan that will resolve, literally, the underlying issue, not merely cover it over. Part of the Republic record includes letting slide the previous operator's warning about handling aluminum waste.

To its credit, the EPA has pulled together a panel of outside experts that is reviewing the situation and will recommend the best way to proceed. Whether the capping the company suggests would completely snuff out the fires remains uncertain.

Chris Korleski, the state EPA director, rightly insists that Republic Waste Services not proceed until all opinions are in. Putting clay and a synthetic liner over a portion of the landfill might be appealing to the company, anxious to put the landfill's problems in the past. In the end, expert advice must be carefully considered. The most important priority is finding the surest way to put out finally the underground fires which have made neighbors so miserable.

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