I drove by the Rumpke Waste & Recycling Services’ landfill in Colerain Township hundreds of times during the 25 years I taught at Miami University.
But as I flew past the giant facility near U.S. 27 and Interstate 275, I never interrupted my commute for a tour.
I finally got one in June, after neighbors told me blasting from Rumpke was damaging their homes.
Asked about the claims, Rumpke suggested a visit. So that’s how I spent part of a June morning, with Enquirer photographer Phil Didion, reporting intern Mia Hilkowitz and photo intern Jacob Sebastian.
The company says it aims to be transparent with customers, neighbors and media.
That’s what we found during our Mount Rumpke visit, as officials laid out details of the company’s massive expansion plan and how it creates more landfill space.
Direct and debris at shot site, but only modest sound
We loaded into a Rumpke van – with landfill manager J.T. Westerfield at the wheel and Molly Yeager, corporate communications manager, riding shotgun – a little past 8:30 on a Friday morning.
We quickly headed for the landfill’s east side, where Rumpke is increasing its acres for trash from 330 to 570.
That is the site of contention – where Rumpke is opening up land for garbage with blasts that neighbors believe are cracking their walls and ceilings. And that is where Rumpke executes “shots” – engineered detonations that break up bedrock – two or three times a week, just after 9 a.m.
At ground zero, the blast we witnessed sent dirt and debris flying skyward. You could hear it – it sounded like distant fireworks – but couldn’t sense it underfoot while standing outdoors some 630 yards away.
A mile or so beyond the shot site, though, Colerain Township neighbors hear and feel the blasts inside their homes, and have been for years. “Shakes the house,” a resident reported on Facebook. “Rattles the windows,” said another.
We heard more of the same in interviews – and saw the cracks in the plaster, bricks and concrete at their homes.
Rumpke refutes claims; neighbors lack direct proof
Rumpke refuted claims that its blasts damage homes and turned over data from seismographs supporting that position. Homeowners acknowledged they cannot prove a direct cause-and-effect between blasts and cracks.
That’s where the story ends, at least for now.
Having ended my teaching days at Miami, I no longer travel through Colerain Township very often.
But now I know what lies over the hill near I-275 and U.S. 27, and what to watch for as the story plays out.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: How The Enquirer reported on Rumpke’s expansion and explosions
Reporting by Patricia Gallagher Newberry, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Patricia Gallagher Newberry, Cincinnati Enquirer | USA TODAY Network
