Municipal News
- Last Updated on Tuesday, 30 July 2013 01:55
July 17, 2013 Rostraver Commissioner’s Meeting
Armed with charts and graphs, a handful of Tervita Landfill representative showed up at the July Rostraver Commissioner’s meeting. Township residents, armed with their own research and information, came to question them and to demand answers about alleged dumping of harmful radioactive material at the site and the ongoing problem of the Landfill’s stench. Although the Rostraver Commissioner’s Meeting was postponed due to lack of attendance, a work session was held and the landfill debate went on.
Tervita Director of Operations John Swalbe said that, although the landfill’s progress had been hampered by the weather, the operation is four months into its six month program to lessen the stench that is traveling outside of the landfill’s boundaries and has incited several D.E.P. violations. He reported that the landfill installed 4 additional pumps, phase 2 gas wells, engaged a contractor and an expert in hydraulics and has increased surface scans. He said that, “ these changes have resulted in a significant reduction in calls to the plant.”
Last month, landfill representatives agreed to set up a 24 hour response line for area residents. Commissioner Patrick Egros and resident Cheryl Meyers questioned the company as to why this had not yet been done. Tervita’s Michael Woods answered, “Although we are ready to engage, we can’t set up the line until a survey has been conducted on which questions to ask.”
Meyers accused the company of dragging their feet and Egros asked if there were no deadlines given to them by the D.E.P. Swalbe answered that there was no definite date given by the D.E.P. only a list of things that needed done, most of which were completed. “There’s no quick fix to engineering projects. Again we are four months into the completion of a six month project.” The company promised that the community would see results soon and stated that eventually the smell would be 100% gone.
Tervita hired a radiation expert, Ted Rahon, of CoPhysics, to do a radiation survey of the landfill. “We wanted him to check all our programs and make sure our facility and the community is safe,” said Swalbe.
Rahon, who consults in New York City and who has worked with the Army Core of Engineers in cleaning up contaminated sites, then addressed the crowd, demonstrating a radiation monitor. “The natural background of the area’s radioactivity is 8 – 15 microrems. I surveyed the landfill and found nothing above 15 microrems at the landfill.”
Rahon concluded that there was no ongoing radioactive disposal that he could see at the landfill and that, in addition, the monitors at the scalehouse that detect radiation are all state-of-the-art and working.
Residents, however, were skeptical and peppered Tervita with many questions. Two residents who did their own radiation reading around the outskirts of Tervita came up with a 52 microrem reading around the area of Fayco Rentals and even higher readings along Vance Dei Cas highway. When Rahon was asked if they should be alarmed at these levels, he replied affirmatively.
As discussed in previous meetings, the township and residents still plan to proceed with independent testing. They plan to secure three bids before they award a contract, which will need to be formally approved.
Commissioner Egros requested Tervita meet with the township to discuss implementation of the hotline and whether the company would contribute financially to independent testing.
Tervita was also questioned on why the street cleaning to clear dust from the landfill along Tyrol Boulevard was not done. Tervita’s Michael Woods said they are looking into it and apologized for the delay.
Lenity School Road resident Debbie Fought raised several issues including thin coverings at the landfill and the one most noticeable issue – the stench. “The smell is still there. It’s still strong. I still smell it. With everything you’ve done, why is that?”
Woods replied that the goal is to finish the plan in the next two months and reiterated the progress the company had made since January, including doing surface scans to determine the concentration of methane gas, the cause of the odor. “We were finding gas escaping the caps all over the place back in January. Now there are only three places.”
Nevertheless, residents near the landfill have noticed no change in the smell and are still concerned with possible health hazards. A listing of companies that might be contracted for independent testing was submitted to the township.
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