GALION, Ohio — It’s too early to determine if a proposed storm sewer in Galion will disturb a long abandoned landfill near Cobey Park on the east side of town.
Susan Hardy, an environmental specialist for the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Division of Materials and Waste Management, inspected the site Tuesday morning after life-long Galion resident Howard Morrow filed a complaint with the EPA. Morrow was conerned a new storm water pipe would pass through the landfill before emptying into a nearby reservoir.
The 85-year-old Morrow, along with Galion Mayor Tom O’Leary and Lyn Makeever of Makeever & Associates, Inc., a Bucyrus-headquartered surveying and engineering company which does work for the city, joined Hardy as she toured the area and looked over project plans.
“It’s the old city dump and you don’t know what’s in there,” Morrow said. “Galion used to be a big industrial town and there could be stuff that has leeched out of the dump already.”
Ohio EPA spokesperson Dina Pierce said the investigation is in its infancy.
“Susan visually inspected the area and didn’t think the new storm water pipe would impact the (landfill) site, but we are very early in the process,” Pierce said. “Susan said she still wants to do some more research and check with some of our other divisions.”
Makeever’s team took five samples (borings) to verify soil conditions and water tables for contractors.
“I wasn’t specifically looking for landfills,” Makeever said, “and I didn’t drill more holes because it costs the taxpayers more money.”
Makeever said the project is still on schedule.
“As of right now, this isn’t holding us back at all,” Makeever said. “I’ll wait to get the EPA report and if we get a favorable response, we’ll bid it. We’ll review the bids and then we have to get approval from the Ohio Public Works Commission because they are funding a lot of it.
“If there are no red flags, we are authorized to execute the contract. They should be digging toward the end of April.”
