One condition of Riverbend Landfill's Air Quality (Title V) permit is to hold twice-yearly meetings with interested community members. Usually most of the folks who attend work for Riverbend, so if you go, be sure to ask who in the room is an employee or contractor and who is a legitimate community member.
This fall's meeting will be held virtually on Tuesday evening, November 29, at 7:00 PM. To attend, you must first register by contacting mramos14@wm.com.
Typically, Riverbend puts on a brief slide show explaining activities they've undertaken to reduce unwanted emissions at the dump. These activities might include drilling more gas wells, flaring off more gas, or diverting more gas to the electricity-producing engines.
Riverbend does NOT typically explain fines that have been levied against the dump or consent orders it has agreed to. You have to ask (though they are not likely to tell you much anyway).
One thing to ask about is the closure permit DEQ (the state Department of Environmental Quality) issued to the landfill in August. Under that permit, Riverbend is to file an updated closure and post-closure plan by the end of this calendar year. It would be nice to know if they will be following through on that requirement. Because that is a different permit from the air quality permit, however, Riverbend might decline to answer.
Other topics to think about are the tonnage of polluting emissions released into the atmosphere by the dump in the past 6-12 months and how that compares to prior periods. Also, due to a consent order issued by the federal Environmental Protection Agency, the landfill is supposed to be monitoring emissions, as well as tears in its polymer covers, more closely than previously. You can ask how they are doing that and how emissions have changed as a result.
Please consider attending. You will get an eyeful.
