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Commissioners maintain there’s little they can do about Heritage landfill
As community members continue to express their frustration over hazardous waste being trucked into Putnam County from an Ohio train derailment, the message of the Putnam County Commissioners remains consistent — there’s not much they can do about the matter.
Upset citizens packed the commissioners’ courtroom at the Putnam County Courthouse on Monday to demand more action from the local board.
While three main speakers addressed commissioners Tom Helmer, David Berry and Rick Woodall, much of the room was people trying to urge more action.
Commenting briefly, Morgan Myers questioned why the matter was not on the agenda of the meeting already before presenting a map showing that the Heritage Environmental landfill in Russell Township sits atop an aquifer.
“It’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when it will leak,” Myers said before turning the floor over to others.
Rudy Guerrero requested an update on what the Commissioners are doing, asking for “a full-court press attack to stop the trucks.”
Beyond this, Guerrero urged the county to do water and soil testing at the site and have them tested by three independent laboratories, beyond the single independent test Gov. Eric Holcomb commissioned late last week.
One point of disagreement by observers is the possible presence of dioxins in the soil that is being transported from the East Palestine, Ohio, train derailment to the landfill between Roachdale and Russellville.
While the dangerous chemicals have been one of the big concerns following the derailment, they were not identified by Heritage as the hazardous materials in question in the soil coming to Putnam County.
Instead, the identified chemicals were butyl acrylate and vinyl chloride, but even these came in well below the allowed levels for the Heritage facility to accept.
Regardless of what chemicals are coming in, the Commissioners leaned on the argument that there is little they can do about what Heritage brings in, provided they don’t run afoul of the federal Environmental Protection Agency or the Indiana Department of Environmental Management.
“It’s a private company. They have permits from EPA and the Indiana Department of Environmental Management,” Commissioner Tom Helmer said. “I just can’t see what we can do right now.”
Another concerned citizen, Raymond Modglin, seemed to agree that the Commissioners’ hands are tied, but urged residents and leaders to be vigilant regarding future expansion of the site. He said the fact that Heritage has had the landfill here for 40 years is hardly an excuse.
“It was a mistake that it happened,” Modglin said. “I’m tired of hearing that it happened 40 years ago.”
Noting that Heritage has expanded the amount of land it owns over the years – including land immediately adjacent to Big Raccoon Creek, he asked how much of it is still zoned for agriculture and how much of it has been rezoned for industrial use, thus opening the door to more landfill space.
“If you do not want that facility to get any larger, your best bet is to make your voice known in zoning,” Modglin said.
Still, the citizens present, as well as 1,175 whose signatures Guerrero presented, asked that the Commissioners put forth some kind of commitment to do whatever they can to monitor and possibly stop the trucks from rolling into the facility.
On this note, Berry noted that the trucks had been halted as of Saturday morning, after they began coming in late last week.
Finally, County Attorney Jim Ensley stepped in toward the end of the conversation.
“I don’t think you understand that last week there were a number of conversations behind closed doors with the (Putnam County) Health Department, with IDEM and other individuals,” Ensley said. “Right now, as far as what I’ve been told, we don’t have any authority. The county doesn’t have any authority over that facility. IDEM regulates the permits. EPA overall is the one that I think is in charge of it. It’s a business.”
“And IDEM has been out there all last week,” Helmer added.
Already a hot button political item in Ohio and nationally since the train derailed on Feb. 3, the matter of chemicals from the derailment have been a matter of local debate since last Monday when the EPA announced that some of the affected soil would be shipped to the Putnam County facility.
State politcal figures such as Gov. Holcomb, Congressman Jim Baird and U.S. Sen. Mike Braun have demanded answers from federal authorities.
“There are very serious implications associated with the relocation of such serious carcinogens, and this administration has a responsibility to carefully weigh the safest options before making rash decisions,” Baird (R-Greencastle) said. “My responsibility is to keep my constituents safe, and I will continue to push for transparency and stand up for the safety and well-being of the Hoosiers I’m proud to represent.”
Following Monday’s meeting, it’s unclear what steps, if any, local officials will take.
What is clear is they are being watched by an outraged public.