Committee approves amendment and advances bill to let counties leave joint solid-waste districts and boost local landfill oversight funding

The Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee on March 25, 2025, accepted an amendment and favorably reported amended Senate Bill 147 (AM 136030353-1) to the Rules & Reference Committee by roll call (tally 7-0). The amendment changes how the division of assets is handled when a county withdraws from a joint solid-waste management district and makes technical edits.

Senate Bill 147 was the subject of extensive proponent testimony from Seneca County elected officials, local health officials and residents who said the Wind Waste landfill’s growth has harmed Fostoria-area quality of life and strained local regulatory resources. Commissioner William Frankert (Seneca County Board of Commissioners) described a video he showed the committee depicting the landfill’s scale, saying the site is “about 5 minute bicycle ride from Fostoria,” and that many rail cars full of C&D (construction and demolition) debris sit near residential areas while awaiting processing.

Robert Podak, vice president of the Seneca County Board of Health and a Fostoria city councilman, told the committee the Seneca County General Health District faces “daunting challenges” overseeing nearly 2,000,000 tons of waste accepted at the landfill in 2024 and that most of that tonnage is shipped in from out-of-state. Podak said the bill would authorize permissive fees on the disposal of construction and demolition debris — a $1 to $2 per-ton fee on out-of-state C&D was discussed in testimony —and that those funds could flow to the local health district to pay for inspections, monitoring, environmental impact studies and staffing.

Dr. Clay Wolf, president of the Seneca County Board of Health, testified the county has seen a sequence of compliance issues and consent orders with the Ohio EPA and described recent incidents including two leachate leaks (he cited one estimated at 53,000 gallons) and a recent train derailment whose contaminated soil, he said, was proposed to be disposed at the landfill. He told the committee the landfill has grown from an initial 84 acres to a current footprint (described in testimony) of roughly 261 acres with plans to expand to about 480 acres; he said the facility has been authorized by the Ohio EPA to accept up to 9,500 tons of waste per day and that construction and demolition debris accounts for the majority of inbound material by rail.

Seneca County witnesses framed the bill as restoring local control: current statutes, they said, require unanimous approval of all counties in a joint district for a member county to withdraw, and that unanimity effectively prevents a county that hosts a landfill from leaving a district whose other members receive fee distributions. Supporters described how much of the district’s disposal tonnage and revenue is concentrated in Seneca County while the local health district bears much of the oversight cost. Proponents said the bill would broaden the allowable uses of solid-waste fees so local health districts can use funds to address impacts to public health, safety and welfare in addition to traditional solid-waste management purposes.

Testimony supporting the bill also highlighted community impacts including odors, decreased property values, visible waste on rail cars near backyards, and residents’ mental-health concerns about water and air quality. Julie Richards read a statement for Harold Huffman (Seneca County General Health District director of environmental sciences) describing boots-on-the-ground oversight, site visits and the need for modern scientific equipment. Residents and local organizations — including Susan Platt (Residents Against Trash) and farmer/business owner Dwight Clary — urged the committee to support local control to protect water, farmland and quality of life.

The Ohio Environmental Health Association (OEHA), represented by Chuck De Jonker, testified as an interested party in support of Senate Bill 147’s intent to provide resources to local health departments. Written proponents and opponents filed testimony as well, including municipal leaders and trade groups that oppose or question aspects of the bill.

Committee action: Vice Chair Kaler moved to accept AM 136030353-1 and later moved to favorably report the amended bill to Rules & Reference. The clerk recorded a roll-call vote: Chair Schafer (yes), Vice Chair Kaler (yes), Ranking Member Hicks Hudson (yes), Senator Landis (yes), Senator Liston (yes), Senator Manchester (yes), Senator Wilkin (yes). The clerk announced the tally as 7-0 and said the roll would remain open until 10 a.m. the next day.

What the bill would do (as described in testimony): allow counties to withdraw from a joint solid waste management district through a process that can occur outside of an MOU; authorize permissive fees on the disposal of out-of-state construction and demolition debris (testimony cited a $1–$2 per-ton range) and broaden allowable uses of disposal fees to include addressing impacts to public health, safety and welfare; change how division of assets is handled when withdrawal occurs. The committee accepted an amendment addressing the division of assets and technical edits.

Opposition and concerns: written opponents include trade groups representing construction and demolition interests and home builders (some witnesses were listed as opponents in written testimony). Concerns raised in testimony and in submitted materials include the mechanics of fee collection and distribution, potential legal exposure to districts or counties, and differing views about statewide fee-structure changes versus local discretion.

Next steps: With the committee’s favorable report, amended SB147 advances to the Rules & Reference Committee. Committee members and witnesses indicated ongoing legal and regulatory disputes between local authorities and the landfill operator (including lawsuits referenced by witnesses), and proponents asked for further statutory changes and funding adjustments at the General Assembly level.