Landfills

Hamilton County Public Health sanitarians respond to nuisance complaints and conduct inspections and monitoring at landfills and other solid waste disposal facilities within the District's jurisdiction.

Construction and Demolition Debris Landfills

A construction and demolition debris landfill (C&DD) is an engineered site for disposing of material from manmade physical structures such as homes, office buildings, etc. They are constructed to reduce risk to public health and safety; include odor, leachate, surface water, fire, and vector (animal and insect) controls; and groundwater monitoring.

These facilities are licensed annually by the Hamilton County General Health District as an Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (OEPA) approved health district. Facilities are also randomly inspected to: 

  • ensure general operational compliance with approved plans 
  • identify potential and actual nuisance issues 
  • review facility logs and paperwork 
  • survey site for leachate seepage, erosion, ponding, and surface water diversion 
  • inspect for noise, odor, vector, litter, and fire controls 
  • review unloading, separating, spreading, and compacting procedures 
  • check for acceptance of approved waste types

What types of materials do C&DD landfills include?
Construction and Demolition Debris - materials from houses, buildings, roadways, and industrial and commercial facilities (i.e. concrete, brick, masonry, stone, glass, asphalt, dry wall, plaster, paneling lumber, plumbing fixtures, insulation, roofing materials and wiring)

Clean Hard Fill - materials such as concrete, stone, brick, block, and tile which can be reused as construction materials if not disposed of at a construction and demolition debris or solid waste landfill. An Intent to Fill (link to form) notification with the Health District is required whenever these materials are reused as construction fill.

Unacceptable Materials: 

  • solid waste 
  • yard waste 
  • furniture 
  • appliances 
  • tires 
  • batteries 
  • hazardous and infectious waste 
  • liquids 
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Sanitary or Municipal Landfills

A sanitary landfill is an engineered site for disposing of refuse on land. Sanitary landfills are constructed to reduce the risk to public health and safety. These facilities are permitted by the Ohio EPA and are licensed annually by the Health District. Sanitary landfills are inspected randomly to: 

  • ensure general operational compliance with approved plans 
  • identify potential and actual nuisance issues 
  • review facility logs and paperwork 
  • survey site for leachate seepage, erosion, ponding and surface water diversion 
  • inspect for noise, odor, vector, litter and fire controls 
  • review unloading, spreading, and compacting procedures
  • check for acceptance of approved waste types

Sanitary landfills feature health and safety design controls including:

Leachate Control 

  • Bottom liner - impermeable layer which prohibits movement of leachate into ground water 
  • Leachate collection system - collects liquid (rain water, snow melt) that percolates through waste

Methane Gas Control 

  • Gas collection system - collects gases created when decomposition of waste occurs

Other Controls 

  • Covering - controls litter, odor, leachate, and vectors (insects & animals) 
  • Monitoring - groundwater, surface water, and landfill gas (methane)

The following materials are accepted at sanitary landfills: 

  • solid waste, garbage 
  • any household or commercial solid or semi-solid materials

Unacceptable materials: 

  • yard waste 
  • hazardous and infectious waste 
  • liquids 
  • tires
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Transfer Stations

Transfer stations are engineered facilities where small loads of solid waste are transferred to larger vehicles. Transfer stations reduce collection and hauling costs and are constructed to reduce risk to public health and safety.

Random inspections are conducted at transfer stations to: 

  • ensure general operational compliance with approved plans 
  • identify potential and actual nuisance issues 
  • review facility logs and paperwork 
  • inspect for noise, odor, vector, litter and fire controls 
  • check for acceptance of approved waste types

Health and safety design controls at transfer stations include: 

  • enclosed facility 
  • concrete tipping floor (where collection vehicles unload) 
  • leachate collection system
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Rumpke Subsurface Reaction

Local and state agencies are currently monitoring a subsurface reaction at Rumpke Sanitary Landfill in Colerain Township. Hamilton County Public Health (HCPH) has been part of a team comprised of Ohio EPA, U.S. EPA, Hamilton County Department of Environmental Services (HCDOES) and Colerain Fire Department – representing Colerain Township involved in monitoring elevated well temperatures and working to remedy the situation.

HCPH and HCDOES have a continued presence at the landfill monitoring air quality and investigating odor complaints. Air sampling of the areas surrounding the landfill does not indicate air pollution levels that would pose short or long term health effects. 
 
To report an odor complaint 24 hours a day, call 513-946-7777.
 
For more information and air quality sampling results, please visit the following Web sites:

Hamilton County Department of Environmental Services

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