Out of frustration, the Logan County Fiscal Court unanimously agreed to send a letter to the Department of Environmental Protection Division of Waste Management in Frankfort. This is not to be confused with Waste Management, the company that operates the landfill in Logan County. The letter in fact is to complain about that company and the landfill that is located on Coopertown Road.

Fiscal Court agreed to send the letter last week after a few residents of Coopertown Road expressed they didn’t feel like the state was paying enough attention the landfill operations at a previous meeting. According to Barry Smotherman, one of the loudest locals, claimed there had been 52 complaints made against Waste Management and the landfill since 2001 and not a one has resulted in a violation.

Odor, road debris and uncovered waste are some of the complaints heard March 27.

The letter says a number of surrounding landowners gave statements regarding the conditions that exist on the properties adjoining the landfill and the surrounding neighborhoods. The citizens recounted numerous times that they have called upon the state and local representatives of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to address their complaints, but yet no progress has been made.

The court expressed in the letter that they were writing it because of their concern over the complaints and to urge the representatives of the appropriate agencies to follow up on the Coopertown Road landfill and ensure that all of the state and Federal regulations governing the facility are strictly followed. The court expressed they had a great deal of concern for the oversight and enforcement of the facility by the EPA.

The court would respectfully ask that representatives in Frankfort look into this matter to ensure the rights of the citizens of Logan County are bring protected by the strict application of the law.

When the fiscal court met two weeks ago and were faced with a decision to either enter into a host agreement drawn up by Waste Management (the landfill) or go against them and try to force them to abide by the county’s rules, they chose to do nothing but send this letter.

At the April 10 meeting, four of the magistrates along with judge/executive Logan Chick voted to ask waste Management if they would include two provisions in the agreement, which included the taking of silage plastic and dead livestock. It looks as if they allow the provisions, the court has enough votes to enter into an agreement with the company. The agreement includes the increase in tonnage per day from 1,150 to 2,500, along with pretty much all the perks Waste Management has been offering the county over the years such as two free dump days each month for the citizens of Logan County, free waste disposal to the solid waste coordinator for illegal dumps and a good deal of revenue collected from a percentage of every ton that goes into the landfill. The county has collected over $200,000 annually for years from previous agreements.

The county and Waste Management have had a partnership for years and have always binded that relationship with a host agreement; however, the most recent agreement ran out in February and because the state does not require an agreement and Waste Management is planning on closing the landfill several years earlier than anticipated, the company has expressed it wants and will fill it up by 2015. Negotiations between Waste Management and the property owners of where the landfill sits have failed forcing the company out earlier than they had wanted.