Tontitown Eco-Vista Landfill renews motion to expand by 10 acres
TONTITOWN, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — Eco-Vista, LLC, renewed a motion to the Arkansas Pollution Control and Ecology Commission on Wednesday requesting to expand its landfill in Tontitown.
The motion requests an additional 10 acres be designated for “EU-L,” or “Exclusive Use – Landfill,” on top of the 417.13 acres it currently has at its disposal. The motion states the area’s growth has put pressure on the landfill, and Eco-Vista argues it is “four weeks away from the existing capacity of its Class 1 permitted space.”
“If Eco-Vista is not able to use the additional capacity authorized by the new Class 1 permit
as soon as possible,” Eco-Vista’s motion states. “Eco-Vista will have to stop its Class 1 operation completely and turn away its customers who pay to dispose of Class 1 material at the site and Eco-Vista will suffer curtailed business and lost income.”
Timeline: Tontitown’s Landfill Controversy
Eco-Vista claims it will suffer “substantial prejudice” if the landfill isn’t expanded.
Ark. Code Ann. § 8- 4-205(c)(6) states: “‘substantial prejudice’ means that the following will occur to the party seeking a stay, a modification of the terms of a stay, or the termination of a stay if the request is denied:
(a) Actual harm to health; or
(b) Adverse economic impact, including without limitation interruption, curtailment, or deferral of business or increased cost of construction or operation.”
Mayor Angela Russell of Tontitown is opposed to the expansion, saying in a statement it’s “wrong on many levels.”
“State agencies blatantly trading the health and welfare of citizens, especially children being raised around the landfill, for the profits of a major national corporation,” Russell said in a statement.
Heston McFatridge has lived near the landfill for 10 years, and he doesn’t want to see it expanded.
“They’re currently operating on 400-plus acres, and they’re wanting to expand 10,” McFatridge said. “What’s 10 acres going to do for 400? Ten more acres isn’t going to give you 100 more years to operate.”
McFatridge understands the importance of having a place to dispose of trash, but he doesn’t like that it’s so close to people’s homes.
“Shut the place down,” McFatridge said. “Go somewhere else and do what you need to do away from the public.”
Eco-Vista-Renewed-Motion-For-Expansion-March-27-2024Download
Carl Simmons is a senior district manager for post-collections at Waste Management. He claims in an affidavit that not expanding will result in adverse effects for the landfill, the cities it serves and the people whose trash is sent there.
“In 2022, just for the disposal of Class 1 waste, Eco-Vista remitted over $326,200.00 to the City of Tontitown,” the affidavit states. “Over $726,000.00 to the Boston Mountain Solid Waste District, over $662,000.00 to Washington County, and over $155,000.00 to the Benton County Solid Waste District.
“If Eco-Vista can no longer accept Class 1 waste and must divert these customers to a distant landfill, then these local governments will no longer receive these fees,” the affidavit states.
The next Arkansas Pollution Control and Ecology Commission meeting is scheduled for April 26. Simmons claims the landfill will have to close “on or around April 30.”
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