Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Land Use And Environment topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Commission postpones strip-pit reclamation after concerns about landfill closure and liability
Summary
Commissioners voted to deny a state request to proceed with strip-pit reclamation near the county landfill and agreed to revisit the issue after two years, citing concerns about potential impacts on wells and landfill closure timelines.
The Van Buren County Board of Commissioners voted to deny a state request to proceed with strip-pit reclamation near the county landfill and agreed to revisit the matter in two years.
Commission discussion centered on uncertainty about the effect of reclamation on the life and closure of the county landfill, potential impacts to local wells, and liability should nearby ground levels be altered. One commissioner told state officials the county would not accept reclamation work unless the state signed an agreement accepting responsibility for any resulting impacts; the commissioner said that condition was unlikely to be accepted.
The board discussed that closure monitoring for the landfill will continue for a period and that reclamation could complicate that schedule. After debate, a motion was made to deny (hold off) the strip-pit reclamation for two years; the motion was seconded and approved by roll call with “yes” recorded in the transcript for the commissioners present.
The board also noted it would revisit the issue if the state were to assume responsibility in writing for any future impacts to county wells or landfill monitoring.
