Clarification of Purcell (Jasper County) Landfill Status

The Joplin Globe reported Tuesday, September 19, 2006 that a change in ownership has been approved, but that action has not cleared the way for development to start at a proposed landfill north of Purcell, a state official said Monday. "We have approved the change in corporate control, but nothing else at this point," said Jim Bell, chief of engineering for the solid-waste-management section of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.

Action by the state approves ownership of the site by Enviro-Site Management Inc., a firm formed by Advantage Waste Inc., a Springfield-based waste-hauling company that originally purchased the landfill site from Allied Waste Inc. Bell said the action does not clear the way for the firm to begin development of the landfill, because the state has not approved a permit modification aimed at changing the sequence in which the landfill would be opened and operated. And, he said, the firm must successfully complete a yearlong groundwater demonstration project to answer questions about the groundwater level at the site..

This article clarifies a KSNF television report made on Friday, September 15, 2006, which stated that the application had been approved. Environmental Battlefields in Missouri blog.

Dennis Wilson Doesn't Understand What all the Fuss is About

The Pittsburg Morning Sun led with a headline, Talking Trash, Monday, September 18, 2006, describing the clash over the proposed landfill on state line. Dennis Wilson doesn't understand what all the fuss is about. He is part owner of Environmental Recovery Group LLC, the group pursuing a permit for a Barton County (MO) landfill northwest of Mindenmines, Mo.

The (Monday, September 18, 2006) article follows another article, Q&A: Dennis Wilson, Environmental Recovery Group, dated Sunday, September 17, 2006, in which Pittsburg Morning Sun Staff Writer Kevin Flaherty described the interview he had with Barton County Commissioner (and part owner of Environmental Recovery Group LLC), Dennis Wilson. Commissioner Wilson said that the landfill is opposed mostly by people from outside the area, including interlopers from Joplin. Commissioner Wilson got irritated with the reported for asking questions, stating that he has been answering questions about the landfill for twelve years, citing a newspaper article in 1996. He accused the newspaper reporter of trying to bait a crowd, replying that this is not a fly-by-night deal.

Southwest Regional Landfill Approved

KSNF TV Joplin (MO) reported on their Friday, September 15, 2006 evening news that the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) had approved the application, clearing way to begin cosntruction on the Southwest Regional Landfill at Purcell (MO).

A controversial landfill has been approved to open in the four states.
The Missouri Department of Natural Resources has approved a landfill that will be located just north of Purcell. The owners met with county commissioners this morning to go over the county requirements for the project. The county is discussing landscaping the area to hide the waste and also installing fencing. "The folks who oppose the landfill are not going to be happy no matter what we do if the landfill goes in. It looks like it`s inevitable, it`s going in. So we just do what we can to try to make it as presentable as possible," said Chuck Surface, Japser County Commissioner. No hazardous waste will be dumped at the site. The landfill is expected to operational in November of next year.

Crawford County (KS) Commissioners Weigh In on Landfill

Crawford County (KS) Commissioners discussed the possibility of a landfill going in near Mindenmines (MO) during their regularly scheduled meeting on Friday, September 8, 2006 (Girard, KS). The concern was State Line Road, which runs along the Kansas-Missouri border. "I have some concerns about the road that would be used," Commissioner Tom Moody said. "That road is maintained by us and we get very little help from the adjoining county." Other commissioners agreed. "I think that is a legitimate concern and we need to look at it," Pichler said. The road would be used by heavy trucks transporting material to the landfill. "We just did overlay on the road and those trucks could tear it up," Moody said. "That road is just not built for that." Commissioners also questioned the need for a landfill in Mindenmines. "We have a landfill that is only about five miles away, so I don't understand why it is necessary," Pichler said. Emerson told the commissioners that the county has started to look into possible issues if the landfill is placed across the border in Missouri. "We are trying to give them every concern that we have, but it is a Missouri issue," Emerson said. Commissioners directed County Surveyor Ron Albertini to survey the road and the viability of having heavy truck traffic.

Pittsburg Morning Sun, Saturday September 9, 2006,

Contact Information

Questions and comments regarding the proposed Mindenmines landfill (ERG Mindenmines, Job No. NJ06MMLF) may be sent to:

Missouri Department of Natural Resources
Solid Waste Management Program
PO Box 176
Jefferson City, MO. 65102

Updates and the status of the Construction Permit Application can be obtained directly from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources Status of Solid Waste Permit Applications webpage.

MDNR Reviews Everything Except What is Important

Mindenmines, MO. More than 40 residents from the Mindenmines area and others from as far away as Joplin and Lamar (MO). attended the public meeting on the proposed landfill, Tuesday, September 5, 2006. One resident expressed disappointment with potential oversight by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MDNR), noting that officials said that the State does not review any potential effect on property values, and does not address economic considerations, choice of location, or planning and zoning issues. "MDNR reviews everything except what is important," said Carol Cignetti Gaskill.
The Joplin Globe, Landfill Meeting Draws Concerns, Wednesday, September 6, 2006

Who was there:
John Stockdale, Barton County Commissioner
Dennis Wilson, Barton County Commissioner
Environmental Recovery Group, LLC - Dennis Wilson, investor
Rod Ellis, MDNR, Environmental Engineer
Charlene Fitch, MDNR Permits Unit Chief
J.C. and Sons Waste Management, Inc. Oklahoma

Local resident Dave Keller summed up the meeting, saying that (Dennis) Wilson should listen to the voices of the attendees in the City Hall. " I think that if you look around the room, most of the people here don't want this. You're on the hot seat. You treat people with respect, and you will get it."
Pittsburg (KS) Morning Sun, Landfill Meeting Gets Heated, Wednesday, September 6, 2006

Mindenmines & Environmental Recovery Group, LLC

What about ...the traffic, the noise, the odor, the blowing trash, the trash trucks, the detrimental effect, the waste seeping into the ground, the roads, the land values, the quality of life, and the benefits? These are concerns that area residents had prior to a public hearing, facilitated by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MDNR), set for Tuesday, September 5, 2006 at City Hall, 613 Main Street, Mindenmines, MO.

The Project is proposed by Environmental Recovery Group LLC, seeking a permit for a sanitary landfill in a former strip mining area northwest of Minednmines. The application to build the 36.8 acre landfill on a 193 acre site was filed on June 28, 2006. The proposed landfill would be used for nonhazardous municipal trash. The site is an inactive coal strip mine area about one mile north of US Highway 160, adjacent to the Missouri-Kansas state line.

The landfill is proposed by a group of investors including Dennis Wilson, a longtime member of the Barton County (MO) Commission. Wilson said that the group has plans to use the site as a landfill, then turn it into a wetland and wildlife area. the application proposes disposing of 1,000 tons of waste per day, and estimates that the site would be in operation for 8 1/2 years.

The Joplin Globe Concerns Piling Up Over Proposed Landfill and The Joplin Globe Landfill Proposal Subject of Public Meeting, Monday September 4, 2006