Published: March 06, 2008 12:30 pm      

Fountain to hear landfill proposal

Public hearing slated for March 25

STEAM CORNER, Ind. — Fountain County residents will have a chance to hear firsthand plans for a proposed mega landfill in the south part of the county.

Officials from NJK Farms Inc. of Indianapolis will explain plans for Greenview Landfill at a public meeting March 25 in the Southeast Fountain Elementary School gymnasium.

NJK Farms has applied for a construction/operating permit at the 190-acre Greenview Landfill, a mile east of U.S. Route 41 and a quarter mile south of Indiana Route 32.

Immediately following the NJK presentation, the Indiana Department of Environmental Management will conduct a public hearing concerning the solid waste permit process and the proposed construction/operating application.

“At the hearing persons can submit questions on a card or can speak in person,” said Barry Sneed, IDEM public information officer. “All questions will be answered in writing.”

Estaleen Spragg, chairwoman of the Concerned Citizens of Fountain County, said the opposition group met last week to dis-cuss its strategy.

“We will have a few people speaking,” she said. “We expected this as the next step.”

The proposed landfill has been in the works for more than 15 years.

On Nov. 8, 1991, an application for a construction/operating permit at Greenview was submitted to IDEM. The state agency denied that application May 15, 1995, after determining the applicant failed to demonstrate a need. The applicant appealed IDEM’s denial.

The appeal led to a settlement agreement, whereupon it was determined NJK Farms would revise the original application to comply with the current technical requirements. The settlement agreement established a two-step process.

First, the demonstration of need information was submitted, published for comment and reviewed. IDEM subsequently determined NJK Farms did satisfy the need requirement.

The second step involved NJK Farms submitting technical information regarding landfill construction design and hydro-geologic characteristics of the site. This information was submitted to IDEM on April 30, 2007.

IDEM proceeded with its review of the application at which point deficiencies were found in the application. IDEM sent a request for additional information on Oct. 1, 2007, which was provided, bringing the permit to the current step.

“We will be ready (to present our side),” Spragg said.



WHAT’S NEXT

A public meeting on the proposed Greenview Landfill near Steam Corner will be at 6 p.m. EDT March 25 at Southeast Fountain Elementary School east of Veedersburg, Ind.

Testimony will be received at the hearing in either oral or written form. Written statements may be submitted up to 10 days following the hearing to Travis Murphy, Indiana Department of Environmental Management, Office of Land Quality,Solid Waste Permits Section — Mail Code 65-45, 100 N. Senate Ave., Room 1154, Indianapolis, IN 46204-2251.

The application may be reviewed at the Covington Public Library, 622 Fifth St., Covington, IN 47932.