Tontitown mayor: Judge rules in favor of landfill expansion
TONTITOWN, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — Tontitown mayor Angela Russell says a judge ruled in favor of the WM Eco-Vista Landfill expansion.
Russell responded to the ruling with a statement. “We are disappointed but not surprised by the decision. It seems as if ADEQ and PC&EC have poured all their efforts into supporting WM at the expense of Tontitown citizens’ health and safety. This entire matter has been a very sad case of government versus the people rather than government for the people,” Russell said.
Timeline: Tontitown’s landfill controversy
In December, the Arkansas Pollution Control and Ecology Commission ruled in favor of allowing a class 4 landfill expansion. The Arkansas National Guard was then deployed to test the air quality near the landfill over a single day.
One month later, the National Guard said it found concentrations of toxin sulfur dioxide in the air around the landfill to be much higher than the EPA’s recommendation for safe levels. The city then appealed the APCEC’s decision to allow the landfill expansion.
ADEQ accuses Tontitown mayor of burning materials during air quality test
In February, two “harmful” chemicals were found in an air quality test at the landfill, acrolein and benzene. Later that month, the ADEQ filed a complaint against Russell for allegedly burning items in her backyard which is near the landfill while air quality tests took place. Russell said she and her husband did not know about the air testing, but when they did find out about it, they did not burn the other days that they had scheduled.
In March, the landfill renewed a motion to expand by 10 acres.
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