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Post by jean on Feb 28, 2020 11:24:55 GMT -5
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Post by jean on Mar 2, 2020 14:14:03 GMT -5
PROTEST THE LANDFILL EXPANSION
This is a reminder to attend the Decatur County Area Plan Commission meeting this Wednesday night, March 4th, at 7 pm at the County Courthouse on the proposed landfill expansion. I highly suggest you arrive at 6 pm. The Courthouse will likely not open until 6:15 pm but everyone has to go through security and i expect a great turnout for this meeting. PLEASE SHARE THIS ! WE NEED PEOPLE TO CONTINUE TO TURN OUT IN PROTEST.
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Post by jean on Mar 4, 2020 10:51:58 GMT -5
REMINDER:
PROTEST THE LANDFILL EXPANSION
This is a reminder to attend the Decatur County Area Plan Commission meeting this Wednesday night, March 4th, at 7 pm at the County Courthouse on the proposed landfill expansion. I highly suggest you arrive at 6 pm. The Courthouse will likely not open until 6:15 pm but everyone has to go through security and i expect a great turnout for this meeting. PLEASE SHARE THIS ! WE NEED PEOPLE TO CONTINUE TO TURN OUT IN PROTEST.
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Post by jean on Mar 4, 2020 23:27:48 GMT -5
When you know that PFAS comes from clothing, furniture etc. do you think perhaps the landfill might have these items in it? The leachate from the landfill is pumped into Greensburg Sewer plant processed and the water goes into gas creek while the solids are broken down and land applied. PFAS is called a forever chemical because it does not naturally degrade. ENVIRONMENTAL BILLS TO WATCH IN THE 2020 LEGISLATIVE SESSION (UPDATED) Senate Bill No. 414 Maximum contaminant levels for pollutants in water Author: Sen. Eddie Melton Senate Bill 414 would require the Indiana State Department of Health to establish state-level maximum contaminant levels for likely or known carcinogens and toxic chemicals likely to pose a substantial health hazard. The bill would limit the amount of PFAS, chromium-6 and 1,4-dioxane in water provided by public water systems. PFAS is the name for a group of manmade chemicals used in consumer and industrial products since the 1940s. PFAS have been linked to testicular and kidney cancer, liver damage and developmental problems in children. Chromium-6, also known as hexavalent chromium, was used in chromate production, chromate pigment and chrome electroplating before the 1980s. It has been linked to lung, nose and sinus cancer. The chemical compound is also known as the “Erin Brokovich” chemical, due to its featuring in the 2000 Julia Roberts movie featuring the activist with that name. 1,4-Dioxane was used as a solvent and in cleansing and moisturizing cosmetic products. The compound was found by the EPA to be likely carcinogenic to humans. indianaenvironmentalreporter.org/posts/environmental-bills-to-watch-in-the-2020-legislative-session NOW READ THIS ON PFAS: and know that we are spreading this on our land and it then runs off into our streams etc. Concerns grow over tainted sewage sludge spread on croplands By JOHN FLESHER and MICHAEL CASEY September 12, 2019 LAPEER, Mich. (AP) — For more than 20 years, the eastern Michigan town of Lapeer sent leftover sludge from its sewage treatment plant to area farms, supplying them with high-quality, free fertilizer while avoiding the expense of disposal elsewhere. But state inspectors ordered a halt to the practice in 2017 after learning the material was laced with one of the potentially harmful chemicals known collectively as PFAS, which are turning up in drinking water and some foods across the U.S. Now, the city of 8,800 expects to pay about $3 million to have the waste treated at another facility and the leftover solids shipped to a landfill. Lapeer isn’t alone. For decades, sewage sludge from thousands of wastewater treatment plants has been used nationwide as cropland fertilizer. It’s also applied to sports fields, golf courses and backyard gardens. About half of the 7 million tons generated annually in the U.S. is applied to farm fields and other lands, the Environmental Protection Agency says. While the sludge offers farmers a cheap source of fertilizer, there long have been concerns about contaminants in the material The concern is that certain PFAS chemicals, which studies have associated with increased risk of cancer and damage to organs such as the liver and thyroid, could be absorbed by crops grown in soils treated with polluted sludge and wind up in foods. Studies going back almost two decades found PFAS in sludge, primarily from industrial wastewater that flows to municipal treatment facilities. Residential sewage is another source — from carpets, clothes and other household items containing PFAS. The grease- and water-resistant compounds, known as “forever chemicals” because they don’t degrade naturally and are believed capable of lingering indefinitely in the environment, also are found in firefighting foam used at military bases and airports. apnews.com/32c65a5b3c27468ea2cdd2ce97848825 |
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Post by jean on Mar 5, 2020 8:54:52 GMT -5
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Post by jean on Mar 5, 2020 12:45:35 GMT -5
WTRE - 3/5/2020 Johannigman asks for 'NO' vote on Landfill Expansion Greensburg resident Jean Johannigman gave a presentation designed to support the health, safety, and well being of Decatur County residents. The report can be viewed on Periscope and Twitter at wtreradio. She provided information from a January 2019 Health and Wellness study from IUPUI. She noted that 34 Indiana counties have higher death rates that the state average. The study attributes the higher than average death rates to a lack of medical access and did not identify the root cause for increased cancer. According to a US News and World Report on Healthiest Communities, Decatur County has a slightly lower cancer prevalence per 100,000 population that the state as a whole. According to the report, Decatur County has almost four times the percentage of unsafe drinking water exposure when compared to the state. Regarding the bedrock aquifer system in Decatur County, Mrs. Johannigman noted that once a contaminant has been introduced into a bedrock aquifer system, it is extremely difficult to track and remediate. She reported that the aquifer system has a low susceptibility to surface contamination due to thick clay deposits over most of the county. She reported that, based on a study from Indiana University, that the landfill would be lined with materials that prevent direct communication of water and contaminants with the aquifer, if it is engineered and maintained properly. Based on a map provided by Mrs. Johannigman, the aquifer in Decatur County has moderate to high sensitivity in the near surface area. Mrs. Johannigman also provided information on how landfills are constructed and why they fail. She noted that a natural clay liner is often fractured and cracked and some chemicals can degrade clay. Further, she noted that leachate collection systems can clog up in less than a decade. She provided several examples of issues that can occur causing clogging or destruction of leachate containment systems. She quoted a report from the US Environmental Protection Agency that the best demonstrated available technology for composite (clay and plastic) liners would allow leakage rates from .02 to 1.0 gallons per acre per day, resulting in 730 to 36,500 gallons per year from a 100 acre landfill. Mrs. Johannigman provided information from Greensburg Wastewater Treatment Plan Superintendent Jeff Smith regarding how Greensburg treats leachate captured from the landfill. Mr. Smith reported that leachate from the landfill is treated the same as all wastewater entering the wastewater treatment plant. The process includes: grit removal, primary clarification solids are removed from the primary clarifiers and pumped to the digesters, biological treatment (activated sludge process) solids generated by the activated sludge is thickened and sent to the digesters, secondary clarification, disinfection, post aeration, and the treated water is discharged to Gas Creek. The organic solids are broken down by the digesters, the remaining solids after digestion are dewatered by a belt press, and then land applied. She then provided an Associated Press report that leftover sludge that is supplied to farms throughout the country contain PFAS chemicals, which studies have associated with increased risk of cancer and damage to organs. The chemicals could be absorbed by crops grown in soil treated with polluted sludge and wind up in foods. She also noted that PFAS chemicals are grease and water resistant compounds known as forever chemicals because they don't degrade naturally and are believed to be capable of lingering indefinitely in the environment. After Mrs. Johannigman's presentation, the floor was opened to give the public the opportunity to express their opinions and feelings regarding the possibility of an expanded landfill. The comments were overwhelmingly against the expansion. As the evening closed, it was agreed that the petition would be tabled and resubmitted by BEX Farms with revisions to determine how much acreage is actually required for the expansion. Tom Flemming-WTRE Radio All rights reserved WTRE Inc www.ask4direct.com/InfoRead.asp?id=WTRE&InfoID=1064014 |
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Post by jean on Mar 6, 2020 11:56:48 GMT -5
Protest the Landfill
At the end of the 3 hour meeting on the landfill expansion, this issue was once again tabled. Mark your calendars for the next meeting, where the landfill is to come back with a smaller scale. That meeting will take place Wednesday, April 1st, at 7 pm at the Decatur County Courthouse.
There is an aquifer in the area beneath parts of the landfill and a DNR graph states the wells of the City of Greensburg come from that aquifer. The City also provides water to Rural Water. They will tell you we are SO protected by the precautions they are taking, however I provided information from the Center for Health & Environmental Justice which disputes this.
Even the information on the aquifer itself states that the aquifer is made up of complex fracturing systems, and once a contaminant has been introduced into a bedrock aquifer system, it will be difficult to track and remediate.
PFAS is a chemical byproduct that comes from clothing, furniture, and various other consumer products. PFAS is not required currently to be tested for. PFAS is considered a forever chemical because it does not naturally degrade. The state of Indiana currently has Senate Bill No. 414 proposed that would limit the amount of PFAS in public drinking water. This Senate Bill also states that PFAS has been linked to testicular and kidney cancer, liver damage and developmental problems in children.
Knowing that clothing, furniture , and other consumer products contain PFAS, a forever chemical, and are put into our landfill daily....and the leachate from the previous, current and proposed landfill is pumped into the City of Greensburg and spread on our land, where rain water washes it into our streams and the liquids are released into gas creek, we need to close this landfill and become a transfer station. Many other counties are just that...transfer stations. With 75% of what is going into our landfill coming from outside of the county we need to stop this.
A website of U.S. News on Healthiest Communities Rankings, where you can find your "preferred" Community, lists our unsafe drinking water rate at 8.6% while the State of Indiana is listed at 2.2% and the U.S average at 5.3 %.
As a community we need to let our elected officials and board members know this is not acceptable. We need to demand that our water sources be protected. Share this information and plan to attend the next public meeting on this issue.
Jean Johannigman Greensburg , IN
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Post by jean on Mar 17, 2020 18:49:36 GMT -5
April 1st County APC Meeting / Landfill Meeting is cancelled until further notice because of Corona Virus precautions.
BE SAFE EVERYONE!
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Post by jean on May 1, 2020 9:43:07 GMT -5
I want to call attention to a question that is on the Decatur County Farm Bureau Inc. 2020 Member Survey concerning the Landfill... The Landfill Leachate is being sent to Greensburg, processed and put on fields to be incorporated into the soil for planting (as fertilizer) and / or placed on land or creek beds where it can run off into the various water streams. There is an element called PFAS that is showing up in crops and in water supplies nationally that is cancer causing as well as a host of other problems that PFAS causes. PFAS comes from a variety of household items that are placed in this landfill every day.The state has a proposed bill in committee to mandate testing for this element but so far it is not tested for. See senate bill 414 : iga.in.gov/legislative/2020/bills/senate/414 . I encourage everyone who is entitled to answer this survey to do your homework before answering that question about the landfill. For others that do not have the survey I encourage you to contact the County Area Plan Commission Board and County Commissioners and express your view on this very important subject for our community. PLEASE SHARE THIS! Here is the question on the Farm BUreau Survey: 4 Support Oppose Abstain * BEX Farms / Decatur Hills proposed landfill expansion in County. * Decatur County Landfill Information : There have been numerous articles addressing this proposal in the local media resources for additional information would be the County Commissioners and members of the Planning Commission. Their contact information is found on the Decatur County, Indiana website or call the Courthouse. The Farm Bureau question on the landfill is as follows: |
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Post by jean on Jul 20, 2020 14:56:22 GMT -5
LANDFILL EXPANSION MEETING RESCHEDULED FOR WEDNESDAY AUGUST 5TH (CHANGE OF LOCATION) PLEASE SHARE THIS! 7/20/2020 - Landfill Expansion to be discussed - Click here to print this information August 5th is when the Bex Farms landfill expansion is expected to again be discussed by the Decatur County Area Plan Commission. That meeting will be at 7 PM unless the Decatur County Board of Zoning Appeals which meets at 6:30 PM runs long. The location of the meeting has been moved from the Decatur County Courthouse to the Emergency Operations Center at 315 South Ireland behind the Decatur County Sheriff's Office. The change will accommodate a larger attendance at the meeting. www.ask4direct.com/InfoRead.asp?id=WTRE&InfoID=1067179 |
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Post by jean on Aug 5, 2020 9:30:11 GMT -5
REMINDER ! PLEASE SHARE! Landfill Expansion to be discussed August 5th is when the Bex Farms landfill expansion is expected to again be discussed by the Decatur County Area Plan Commission. That meeting will be at 7 PM unless the Decatur County Board of Zoning Appeals which meets at 6:30 PM runs long. The location of the meeting has been moved from the Decatur County Courthouse to the Emergency Operations Center at 315 South Ireland behind the Decatur County Sheriff's Office. The change will accommodate a larger attendance at the meeting. www.ask4direct.com/InfoRead.asp?id=WTRE&InfoID=1067179 |
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Post by jean on Aug 13, 2020 13:44:45 GMT -5
www.ask4direct.com/InfoRead.asp?id=WTRE&InfoID=1067798The next meeting of the Decatur County Commissioners is scheduled for August 17th at 8:00am in meeting room 106 at the Decatur County Courthouse. We will however not have a full board in attendance because of some long planned family commitment's and while this would normally not prevent us from conducting regular business, it will however prevent us from having the discussion we need to make available to the public on land fill expansion and County ordinance changes that are being considered. With that in mind we will not have these agenda items for our meeting on the 17th and will address those issues at a future meeting. The Commissioners want to give everyone the opportunity to be part of the discussion and will post when these items are on the agenda on the County web site, Greensburg Daily News, WTRE and social media. From: Decatur County Commissioners
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Post by jean on Aug 15, 2020 9:53:28 GMT -5
Decatur County Board of Commissioners agenda change
STAFF REPORT
GREENSBURG — All three members of the Decatur County Board of Commissioners will not be in attendance at the panel’s next regularly scheduled meeting (8 a.m. Monday, Aug. 17 in Room 106 of the Decatur County Courthouse).
This will not prevent the attending commissioners from conducting other business, but it will prevent the full board from discussing a recent rezone request from BEX Farms approved by the Decatur County Area Plan Commission that’s part of a plan to eventually expand the local landfill.
The county leaders have indicated they want to give everyone the opportunity to be part of the discussion, and have pledged to alert the public when the BEX
Farms request is on the agenda via the county web site, Daily News, WTRE, and social media.
Contact Bill Rethlake at 812-663-3111, ext 217011 or email bill.rethlake@greensburgdailynews.com
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Post by jean on Aug 16, 2020 10:08:12 GMT -5
What is PFAS & why should we care? Indiana is considering a bill to mandate testing for PFAS. It is Senate Bill 414 : iga.in.gov/legislative/2020/bills/senate/414What is PFAS & why should we care? Here is what the EPA says about PFAS: PFOA and PFOS have been the most extensively produced and studied of these chemicals. Both chemicals are very persistent in the environment and in the human body – meaning they don’t break down and they can accumulate over time. There is evidence that exposure to PFAS can lead to adverse human health effects. PFAS can be found in: Food Commercial household products, Workplace Drinking water *landfill, wastewater treatment plant, Living organisms Why are PFAS important? low infant birth weights, effects on the immune system, cancer (for PFOA), and thyroid hormone disruption (for PFOS). How are people exposed to PFAS? Contaminated soil and water used to grow the food www.epa.gov/pfas/basic-information-pfasWHAT HAS THIS TO DO WITH OUR LANDFILL & THEIR DESIRE TO EXPAND THE LANDFILL? When the old landfill was closed they built a pipe to transfer the leachate to the city of Greensburg to be processed at the sewer plant and then the liquids go into gas creek and the solids have been applied to the soil in various places through out the county. I have a list from IDEM which shows ALL the locations that this leachate has been applied. You must remember this is called a forever chemical because it does not degrade. While the state is considering testing for it, our application of this leachate will only increase if the landfill increases or remains open. Here is an example of another state where they test for PFAS & what happens as a result of testing. AP article : Concerns grow over tainted sewage sludge spread on croplands state inspectors ordered a halt to the practice in 2017 after learning the material was laced with one of the potentially harmful chemicals known collectively as PFAS, which are turning up in drinking water and some foods across the U.S. Now, the city of 8,800 expects to pay about $3 million to have the waste treated at another facility and the leftover solids shipped to a landfill. Lapeer isn’t alone. For decades, sewage sludge from thousands of wastewater treatment plants has been used nationwide as cropland fertilizer. The concern is that certain PFAS chemicals, which studies have associated with increased risk of cancer and damage to organs such as the liver and thyroid, could be absorbed by crops grown in soils treated with polluted sludge and wind up in foods. Residential sewage is another source — from carpets, clothes and other household items containing PFAS. The grease- and water-resistant compounds, known as “forever chemicals” because they don’t degrade naturally and are believed capable of lingering indefinitely in the environment, also are found in firefighting foam used at military bases and airports. apnews.com/32c65a5b3c27468ea2cdd2ce97848825This landfill should NOT be expanded...this landfill should become a transport station instead of a landfill. Keep in mind that 75% of what goes into this landfill also comes from out of county. If anyone would like to see the IDEM list of ALL the places this has been applied and is still being applied in our county I can supply that. There are several more meetings before this landfill is approved. Those who can see this as a place to start to positively affect the health of this community, currently , and for our children and grand children need to attend these meetings and object to this landfill. If the Senate passes bill 414..will our county be reactive or proactive in considering the implications of PFAS and what they may be required to do with it? Jean Johannigman Greensburg IN |
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Post by jean on Aug 30, 2020 8:58:37 GMT -5
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