Residents raise landfill health concerns and school pickup traffic at Estill County board meeting

Two public commenters at the April 17 Estill County Board of Education meeting raised local health and safety concerns: one questioned potential health effects from proximity to a landfill near the planned school sites, and another asked about afternoon traffic blocking Rice Street during Estill Springs pick-up.

A resident who identified themselves in the transcript as Dana Matilo (name pronounced in the transcript; spelling not confirmed) referenced a 2009 National Institutes of Health report and said a 1.8-mile radius around landfills can raise health concerns. The commenter asked how the district could be sure there would be no groundwater runoff or air-quality issues at the new high school and middle school and referenced alleged incidents in 2019 involving radioactive material.

Central Office staff responded that the district recently met with the relevant Kentucky state department and that monitoring has been put in place. Staff said a monitor is on-site and operating 24/7 and invited the concerned residents to set up a follow-up meeting to review the monitoring data and records. Staff urged residents to contact Central Office to arrange that meeting.

A separate comment from Danny Rollins asked whether the board had plans to address traffic blockage on Rice Street during afternoon pick-up at Estill Springs. Central Office staff said the district is aware of the problem and is working on solutions but that the issue is larger than the school system alone and involves outside factors; staff again invited the commenter to meet in person to discuss options.

Both concerns were recorded in the public-comment portion of the meeting; the board did not take formal action on either issue during this session.