Wildlife enthusiasts concerned about proposed landfill’s impacts on area - WKBN.com

Wildlife enthusiasts concerned about proposed West Point Renewables landfill's impacts in Columbiana County, Ohio

MADISON TWP., Ohio(WKBN) — One of the reasons a small Columbiana County community is hesitant to welcome the installation of a landfill has to do with a population of eagles.

The Ohio EPA is considering allowing a company based in Mars, Pennsylvania, to open a landfill in West Point, a small community in Columbiana County between East Liverpool and Lisbon.

But about a half mile away from the West Point Renewables facility proposed site, the nest of a bald eagle could be seen Monday afternoon.

Jamie Netwick-Haney — along with Dan Lyon and Dale Deeken — were at last week’s meeting with the Ohio EPA, where the landfill’s plans were laid out and where they were told the landfill could cause West Point’s famous eagles to leave.

“The invasive birds like the seagull or the turkey buzzards or something like that would drive the eagles away. And we don’t want to lose our eagles,” Lyon said.

“They have a massive following. People from all around the world are checking out our eagles,” Netwick-Haney said.

An EPA geologist also said at the meeting that it’s impossible for any nearby water wells to become contaminated.

“If there’s a contamination release to the aquifer, it cannot reach your wells,” said Jeff Rizzo, with the Ohio EPA.

“I believe that impossible is not the right word. Maybe improbable. Nothing is impossible,” Deeken said.

The waste transfer station for Ohio Valley Waste Service is about 300 yards from Little Beaver Creek. At the meeting, people were told that most anything making it to the creek would be “dissolved away.”

“But any extra toxins that are introduced into Beaver Creek are toxins that wouldn’t have been there in the first place,” Netwick-Haney said.

The Ohio EPA will decide whether to grant the permit for the landfill to operate. Netwick-Haney, Lyon and Deeken believe the permit will be approved.

“It sounded like they really didn’t care about the public or what the local townspeople had to say,” Deeken said.

“We know it’s going in. We’ve got a good idea. They’ve made up their mind,” Lyon said.

The Ohio EPA will host a second meeting at 6p.m. Thursday, April 4, for public comment on whether the landfill should be allowed. It will be held at West Point Church of the Nazarene.