Moving Mountains for Mill Creek
For
the
last
8
years,
Dottore
Companies
has
been
the
court-appointed
receiver
overseeing
the
160-acre
Harvard
Refuse
landfill
in
the
Cuyahoga
River
industrial
valley.
Pre-1988,
various
PCB-infused
waste
was
dumped
into
the
landfill
and
covered
with
dirt.
As
a
result,
the
landfill
oozes
leachate
into
Mill
Creek
and
releases
methane
gas
into
the
air
of
the
residential
communities
nearby.
We’ve
been
tasked
to
oversee
the
property
and
help
to
negotiate
a
plan
to
mitigate
the
landfill’s
pollution
issues.
Currently
the
cost
associated
with
managing
the
landfill
is
over
$200,000
a
year,
and
the
cost
of
mitigation
and
cleanup
is
estimated
to
be
$20
-
$80
million.
The
State
of
Ohio
is
responsible
for
these
costs.
To save taxpayers
the
financial
burden,
it
is
imperative
that
we
find
a
self-sustaining
solution
for
this
property.
We’ve
identified
an
opportunity
to
get
creative.
The
Port
of
Cleveland
and
the
U.S.
Army
Corps
of
Engineers
are
undecided
about
a
solution
for
the
disposal
of
mountains
of
dredged
sediment
from
the
bottom
of
the
Cuyahoga
River.
We
propose
that
mountains
of
dredged
sediment
from
the
river
be
moved
to
the
Harvard
Refuse
landfill. In
this
interview
with
James
F.
McCarty
of
the
Plain
Dealer,
Mark
Dottore
said,
“The
money
generated
from
the
tipping
fees
would
pay
the
costs
to
fix
the
leachate,
gas
and
erosion
problems.
This
can
work.”
A
situation
like
this
takes
perseverance
and
persistence.
We’ve
been
met
with
opposition
to
our
proposal,
but
we
will
continue
to
negotiate.
So
far,
other
parties
have
suggested
a
solar
farm,
industrial
park,
and
planting
wildflowers
and
prairie
grass.
According
to
Mark,
“If
this
wasn’t
all
garbage
underground
I
would
agree…But
we
need
to
deal
with
the
public
safety
issues
first.”
We
welcome
ideas
on
how
to
solve
the
pollution
issues
of
the
Harvard
Refuse
landfill,
keeping
in
mind
that
it
needs
to
sustain
itself
and
benefit
the
public.
How
much
longer
should
our
citizens
have
to
wait
for
protections
to
their
health?
This
article proposes
one
solution
of
many.
What
are
your
thoughts
on
how
to
utilize
the
land?