When the Home Team Loses
Jul. 28th, 2008 09:25 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
hertinknessI just got off the phone with my mom. I have never heard her sound so utterly defeated.
A few things led up to it. The first was a phone call from the EPA, noting how the number of Notices of Violation from the County Health Department for odor (two) didn't match up with the number of complaints the landfill had received (vastly, vastly more than two). It was said in such a way that would indicate that the guy thought all of those complaints from surrounding land owners were groundless.
The second and third were the result of a little bit of research. She found first that Allied Waste, the waste management company that owns the landfill, employs the following legal tactic in Ohio.
1) There are no federal standards for odor from a landfill.
2) There are no state standards for odor from a landfill in Ohio- that's regulated by the county board of health.
3) These rubes don't have an odor specialist- therefore, we can do what we want.
The third thing was that the owner of the rail line going to the landfill has ties to the Rizzo crime family.
She's giving up- they don't have the money or the power to fight. They're just going to take the loss on the house, and try to start again somewhere else after my grandfather dies.
I didn't want to see this happen. It's why I became a geologist in the first place- I thought that this would give me the tools to fight it. I wanted to save my family and the place where I grew up. I knew that wasn't probable, but I always hoped it was at least possible. And now... I fucking hate feeling helpless. But other than wishing death on the people responsible, the only (legal) thing I can do is my job, and try to prevent this from happening to other people.
There are days when the illegal options sound like good plans.
A few things led up to it. The first was a phone call from the EPA, noting how the number of Notices of Violation from the County Health Department for odor (two) didn't match up with the number of complaints the landfill had received (vastly, vastly more than two). It was said in such a way that would indicate that the guy thought all of those complaints from surrounding land owners were groundless.
The second and third were the result of a little bit of research. She found first that Allied Waste, the waste management company that owns the landfill, employs the following legal tactic in Ohio.
1) There are no federal standards for odor from a landfill.
2) There are no state standards for odor from a landfill in Ohio- that's regulated by the county board of health.
3) These rubes don't have an odor specialist- therefore, we can do what we want.
The third thing was that the owner of the rail line going to the landfill has ties to the Rizzo crime family.
She's giving up- they don't have the money or the power to fight. They're just going to take the loss on the house, and try to start again somewhere else after my grandfather dies.
I didn't want to see this happen. It's why I became a geologist in the first place- I thought that this would give me the tools to fight it. I wanted to save my family and the place where I grew up. I knew that wasn't probable, but I always hoped it was at least possible. And now... I fucking hate feeling helpless. But other than wishing death on the people responsible, the only (legal) thing I can do is my job, and try to prevent this from happening to other people.
There are days when the illegal options sound like good plans.
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no subject
Date: 2008-07-29 03:28 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-07-29 03:32 am (UTC)I admittedly don't know the entire story behind this, but it still sounds absolutely horrible, and I'm really sorry your family's stuck in that mess, whatever the details.
If there's anything I can do, let me know.
no subject
Date: 2008-07-29 01:35 pm (UTC)It is amazing to me how the bureaucracy gets in the way of common sense and stewardship of our own environment.
And Allied Waste? I asked my broker to not buy stock in them because my conscience wouldn't allow for it. This is one more reason for me to not think too highly of them.
no subject
Date: 2008-10-13 11:14 am (UTC)