EPA investigating whether Countywide's on fire
PIKE TWP - The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency is investigating what may be an underground fire at Countywide landfill.
There’s no question that heat is being generated underground. It’s just a matter of what’s causing it, said Mike Settles, spokesman for the Ohio EPA.
EPA officials previously suspected it was caused by a chemical reaction involving aluminum waste buried in the landfill, which is formally known as Countywie Recycling & Disposal Facility. However, Larry R. Davis, a pilot from Kent, said he believes his thermal infrared images detect a fire.
Davis, owner of the Portage-County based Davis Aviation, said he took the aerial images in August and on Dec. 29. During that span, the images indicate what he suspects is an underground fire has grown roughly 12 times in size, Davis said.
“I’m going, ‘Holy mackerel, this thing has spread, ” said Davis, who has done infrared work on other landfills in Ohio and out of state.
“No one has said there’s a fire, and I’ve only flown over it,” he acknowledged. But “I’m saying it looks like a fire.”
Ohio EPA inspectors have found no evidence of a fire, Settles said. No smoke was seen when monitoring wells were dug to extract gas and investigate odor problems at the landfill.
“We’ve seen no evidence of (gas) well casings melting or the integrity of the wells coming into question,” Settles said.
Residents in the area have complained about the stench for more than a year, he said. The EPA determined the odor and heat are related to the decomposition of the buried aluminum, Settles said.
EPA officials had decided to focus on the odor problem. However, the agency had discussed the possibility of a fire and had considered using a pilot to take photos at one point, Settles said.
Davis provided the August infrared images to the EPA, Settles said. The agency is trying to get the December images from Davis.
Meanwhile, the agency is hiring an expert in landfill fires from California to investigate, Settles said.
“What that pilot told us alarmed us, so we’re redoubling our efforts to determine what’s causing the heat in the landfill,” he said.
“I think we’ve got to get the experts in here to come up with a consensus on what the situation is ... to bring some sort of peace of mind to the community,” Settles said.
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