CLARK COUNTY — Dozens of community members shared their frustrations about a new Rumpke transfer station going in Clark County.
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As reported on News Center 7 at 11:00, the Ohio EPA hosted a meeting to hear how the community feels about the facility.
Rumpke Waste & Recycling is currently prepping for the new transfer station, which will be along S Dayton-Lakeview Road in Bethel Township.
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For more than six months, people who live in the area have been sharing their concerns about the facility.
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One of the main concerns is possible water runoff.
“The plan is going to be built within 100 feet of a major floodplain,” Bethel Township resident Wayne Massie said. “That whole area is under water. Whenever we get more than two or three inches of rain.”
Rumpke is building a retention pond on site that’s designed to catch any additional runoff.
Ohio EPA Assistant Chief Russell Brown explained how it works.
“That pond will need to be tested before it can be discharged,” Brown said.
But many people who live in the area are on well water.
They wanted the Ohio EPA to explain how water and sludge runoff from trucks will be tested to protect their wells.
“They will sample that liquid to make sure it meets the requirements of the wastewater treatment,” Russell said.
Additional concerns were about increased traffic and what would happen if a fire broke out.
“They’re not looking at destroying the people environment that live in this area,” Massie said. “The area is very confined. We’re a rural area.”
Rumpke spokeswoman Molly Kennedy addressed the concerns about possible fires at the facility.
“We are going to put in fire suppression to make sure nothing gets out of our doors and into the airways,” she said.
News Center 7 crews watched as many community members left the meeting before it was over, out of frustration and disappointment.
“The meeting was very disheartening, and I don’t feel the EPA really addressed our concerns,” Massie said.
The facility is expected to be operational in late 2025, according to the project’s website.
News Center 7 will continue to follow this story.
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