Dive Brief:
- Rumpke Consolidated Cos. Inc will move forward with a plan to expand its landfill in Colerain Township, OH, after months of pushback from township trustees. The expansion will double the size of the landfill.
- Judge Lee Hildebrandt Jr. ruled that the township's current zoning of the 350 acres being fought over is "unconstitutional beyond fair debate," and the property is only suited for use as a landfill.
- Colerain Township has 45 days to rezone the property for solid waste disposal. If rezoning is not done in that time, Rumpke is allowed to use the property as it sees fit, according to Cincinnati Business Courier.
Dive Insight:
It's an average occurrence when a town opposes a company's request to expand the landfill. However, Colerain Township officials have opposed this expansion since August 2014, and they don't seem to be backing down. Township officials have said they will likely appeal the judge's decision — a move that may only delay the start of the expansion.
In July, resident Harry Patterson told Cinncinati.com, "I consider Rumpke a necessary evil." This perspective is one that many may soon agree with. While the landfill already encompasses 500 acres with 334 for waste disposal, it will run out of space by 2027 without an expansion.
"We are very pleased the court has recognized the essential service that Rumpke Sanitary Landfill provides to the region and Rumpke's constitutional right to develop property it owns," the company said in a statement. "This has been a very long and difficult process, and we're looking forward to continuing to plan our future here in Colerain Township."
