WIN Waste Receives Favorable Ruling from the Environmental Review Appeals Commission Learn More

Focus on improved technology and operations yields results for Sunny Farms

Friday, June 7, 2019

At the beginning of this year we knew we had a challenging few months ahead of us. We knew changes needed to be made. We believed that the extensive capital investments for new technology would result in positive changes not only in how we work, but also for our neighbors and the local community.

Now with much of our technology in place, we’re getting the results we knew were possible. We are capturing and destroying gas before it can escape and cause odors. We are keeping the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency and Seneca County General Health District informed through our ongoing monitoring and reporting. And our weekly website updates are helping to keep everyone in the community informed on our progress.

Each month we are making strides to further improve our facility and demonstrate to the community that our strategic plans and focused efforts are working. Here’s what we accomplished at the landfill in May:

Independent soil and water testing results – NO CONTAMINATION.

We participated with the Seneca County Health Department to collect surface water and soil samples at locations selected by Louden Township around the landfill. The sampling event was witnessed by representatives of Seneca County, Louden Township, and a concerned citizen.  The samples were tested by a lab selected by the Seneca County Health Department and the results demonstrated that the surface water quality meets drinking water standards. exceeds landfill regulatory requirements, and is protective of human health and the environment. More details can be found in this Advertiser-Tribune article.

  • Odor action levels triggers in May – ZERO. Now that our enhanced technology is in place and working, potential odors are being eliminated. In the month of May there wasn’t a recording from any of our monitors that triggered an odor
  • Installation of odor control blanket – COMPLETED. The odor control blanket consists of two parts: a geomembrane plastic cover, which captures gas under the blanket and routes it to the gas collection system where it can be destroyed; and a green Wind Defender layer that protects the plastic cover from sunlight and wind uplift. With the installation of the odor control blanket complete, a large portion of the landfill is now sealed to capture gas and prevent moisture seepage that can cause

Erosion control and seeding on the landfill’s slopes – IN PROGRESS.

To control erosion on the slopes, (including the waste area that was covered with an additional three feet of clay soil in March) grasses will be planted to provide a thick, green stand and improve the landfill’s appearance. Site soils were analyzed by an agricultural laboratory to develop the ideal seed and fertilizer mix, the slope is being smoothed, and diversion berms are being installed to prevent rain from washing away seed before it takes root.

We were confident that our efforts would make a difference when we embarked on these changes – and it is encouraging to see that these improvements are starting to be recognized throughout the community.

These are important steps toward the achievement of operating excellence – and earning back your trust. We know there is more work to do and we will continue to do the right thing.