What a difference three years can make.

On Oct. 10, 2000, Packerton Land Co. LLC petitioned the Kosciusko County Board of Zoning Appeals to rezone land to expand the municipal solid waste landfill at 2710 E. CR 800S, Claypool. Remonstrators filled the Munson Building and spoke in opposition.

Wednesday, Packerton Land Co. and the Indiana Department of Environmental Management held a public meeting on the landfill's expansion permit. Only a handful of people were present and the sole person who spoke from the public was Kosciusko County Solid Waste Management District Director Sue Studebaker, who spoke in favor of the permit.

The meeting lasted less than 30 minutes.

As proposed, the 64.9-acre Kosciusko Landfill No. 2 will be constructed west of the existing landfill, formerly known as the Ransbottom Landfill. The parcel is along the east side of Packerton Road, between CRs 700S and 800S.

The landfill will receive municipal solid waste from the surrounding region and, by law, cannot accept liquid, hazardous, radioactive or medical waste. Municipal solid waste is any solid waste generated by community activities or the operation of residential or commercial establishments. Of the waste taken in by the landfill in 2002, 61.3 percent was municipal solid waste; 26.4 percent was construction-demolition debris; and 12.4 percent was other industrial waste, according to information provided by the landfill company.

"This expansion is a continuation of an existing business," said Timothy Boos, consulting engineer for the landfill. "Really, that's all it is."

IDEM is responsible for administering the state's solid waste land disposal regulations. By statute, IDEM has 365 days to act on a permit application for a new solid waste land disposal facility. The Kosciusko County BZA granted the zoning for the landfill Oct. 10, 2000. A permit application was received by IDEM on Nov. 13, 2002, and the application was deemed complete by IDEM on Sept. 23, 2003. Wednesday's public hearing was the next step in the process.

Boos opened the meeting by reviewing what is proposed, asked for questions from the public and said that IDEM will take written comments from the public until Dec. 1. Written comments may be addressed to John Hale, Office of Land Quality, Indiana Department of Environmental Management, 100 N. Senate Ave., P.O. Box 6015, Indianapolis, IN 46206-6015, by fax at 317-232-3403 or e-mail [email protected]

Hale is the permit manager for this application.

Boos said copies of the application for the permit to IDEM are available at Warsaw Community Public Library, 315 E. Center St., Warsaw, or at IDEM in Indianapolis.

Just because the public hearing was Wednesday, Boos said, that doesn't mean the landfill will begin construction today. He said the company "probably has another year to go" and the process is not over by any means, the public still has plenty of time for comment.

"It really does become an open process where anyone can review the application and ask questions," said Boos.

Besides awaiting final approval on the permit and site by IDEM, Boos said the landfill still has to go before the county drainage board and meet approval by the county highway and surveyor departments and county drainage board, as required by the BZA approving the landfill's rezoning.

"Those things will happen after IDEM issues their approval," said Boos.

He also showed letters of approval for the landfill permit from Warsaw Mayor Ernie Wiggins, the town of Syracuse, the county highway department and the county surveyor, as well as the Packerton Landowners Association.

IDEM then held its formal public hearing on the permit application. During that hearing, Studebaker said the solid waste district wholly supports Allied and Ameri-Waste, owners of the landfill, and what they are proposing. She said the new landfill will help the county with the management of its waste. [[In-content Ad]]