Neighbors Oppose Expansion of Landfill
By John Ferak, Omaha World-Herald, Neb.
Jul. 22–BLAIR, Neb. — Plans to expand a private landfill in southern Washington County has some neighboring landowners asking county officials to throw out the proposal.
Abe’s Trash Service wants the county to approve a permit to add 22 acres to its 26-acre rural landfill, in which building materials and construction debris are dumped.
John H. Christensen, president of Abe’s, and his family have operated a landfill at the site since 1962. John H. Chistensen’s father, Abe Christensen, started the business.
Since Christensen announced plans, some area residents have urged Washington County officials to deny the expansion. They voice fears that the landfill property might become an environmental hazard.
Daryl Cox, who owns land adjacent to the site, expressed his fears in a letter to the county.
“Our concern is, we are on well water,” Cox wrote. “We know that the material put in this disposal area is only to be construction material, but we all know that the disposal containers are not manned 24/7, and that unauthorized people dump things into them that they cannot dispose of any place else.”
The Washington County Planning Commission voted 6-0 to recommend approving expansion of the landfill. Planning commission members said that Christensen’s family-owned business has been a fixture for nearly five decades.
Generally speaking, the landfill has had a good record, added Dave Johnson of the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality. “We’re not saying they are perfect, but generally, their compliance issues have been for relatively minor violations,” he said.
Christensen says expanding won’t harm the environment, become an eyesore or generate additional heavy truck traffic into his gated business.
“Even though there is going to be an expansion, we’re not going to look like the Douglas County Landfill, by no means, where it goes way up in the air,” he said.
Nestled in rolling hills, the landfill is not immediately visible from the main access roads. Somewhat secluded, it sits on a remote gravel road, at least a quarter-mile from neighboring properties, mostly acreage homes.
Fort Calhoun is about five miles away, and the landfill sits less than half a mile from Little Papillion Creek, which flows downstream into Cunningham Lake.
The Washington County Board could vote on the landfill expansion at its Sept. 23 meeting. The Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality would have final say, said Doug Cook, county planning director.
The seven-member county board could attach conditions to a permit allowing the proposed expansion, such as requiring synthetic liners, fencing or monitoring wells, to minimize any pollution hazards. Planning commission members, whose recommendation was advisory, didn’t call for additional conditions.
When the planning commission considered Abe’s Trash Service’s application earlier this month, more than 50 people packed the meeting hall.
About a half dozen people urged the commission to require Abe’s to install monitoring wells and synthetic liners around the landfill to prevent runoff and ground contamination.
Resident Kelly Murphy is urging the county to reject the expansion. He said the county needs to find a way to shut down the landfill business, not help it thrive for another decade.
“Forget expansion, you need to clean this thing up,” Murphy said. “If this stuff leaches into Cunningham Lake, those people are in trouble. Once toxins start getting into that lake . . . who’s going to be fiscally responsible for this disaster? Washington County? The state?”
Pam Daly, another Washington County resident, asked government officials and Christensen to find middle ground and suggested that the county require Christensen to install well monitors.
“We need testing of water quality,” Daly said. “John is eager to make peace and get along with his neighbors and the county and do whatever he can to prevent runoff.”
Christensen said his company has silt dams and ponds surrounding the landfill to prevent soil erosion and runoff seepage. He said runoff from his landfill’s expansion would be contained in a storm water basin. He said the state environmental department makes a half dozen unannounced inspections a year to ensure he’s not violating pollution laws.
Two Washington County officials, Sheriff Michael Robinson and Highway Superintendent Cheryl Parsons, have submitted letters to the County Board supporting the landfill’s expansion.
“Abe’s has tried to be a good neighbor to everyone, and they maintain a quality operation,” said Christensen’s attorney, Jon Sedlacek of Blair. “The state has already investigated this, and it should not be an issue.”
Johnson, of the Department of Environmental Quality, said that some similar construction and demolition landfills in Nebraska have monitoring wells but that he was not aware of any construction-site landfills that require synthetic liners.
Johnson said he was not aware of any evidence supporting concerns about groundwater contamination reaching Cunningham Lake.
–Contact the writer: 444-1056, john.ferak@owh.com
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