July 20, 1999
Tiffin OKs $175,000 in response to EPA findings on landfill
By Erik Burriss
Staff Writer
The Tiffin City Council approved, 7-0, Monday night an ordinance providing $175,000 for Hull & Associates, Inc. to assist in the city's response to conditions at its closed CR 90 landfill.
Hull & Associates has drafted a three-part plan to abate the surface water violations at the landfill, determine the hydrogeological conditions around and beneath the landfill, conduct tests to evaluate the likelihood of the landfill having an impact on groundwater quality and determine the possible impact of groundwater contamination on residents.
Task one consists of gathering data on potential cap materials and the makeup of any exposed waste materials. The plan could begin to be implemented by September and could conceivably be completed by Christmas, John Hull of Hull & Associates said.
"You should not go out to a landfill and start digging and moving things around," said Hall, who was present to explain the plan and answer the council's questions.
Part of the surface water discharge referred to in the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency's July 13 letter to Mayor Bernie Hohman can be eliminated by regrading the landfill, Hull said.
"The waste has settled, creating ponds," he said. Water collecting in the ponds seeps into the landfill and runs out after picking up material from the landfill. Eliminating the depressions can eliminate some of the contamination.
The second task will be to "categorize the site hydrogeologicaly," Hall said. Publicly available documents such as landfill records, aerial photographs and well records from the vicinity of the landfill will be examined. Borings will be taken to determine the actual dimensions of the landfill and small wells called piezometers will be drilled to determine the flow of groundwater in and around the landfill.
Until the area's groundwater flow and the relationship between aquifers is fully understood, groundwater monitoring won't tell much, Hull said.
Hall went on to say that the piezometers will show where groundwater monitoring wells should be located and that some of the piezometers could be made into groundwater monitoring wells.
"You will be able to talk more intelligently about the conditions at the landfill," said Hull.
Hull emphasized that it is impossible to tell what, if any effect the landfill is having on the environment.
"We don't know," he said.
Hull said that OEPA will be invited to observe all of Hull & Associates and its subcontractor's activities at the landfill.
Task three is to disseminate the information gathered and "includes meetings with the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency and other parties as requested by the city," according to the proposal.
Hull & Associates' preliminary estimation of the cost is $174,850, although, "it would be premature and irresponsible to put a dollar amount on what it would all cost," Hull said.