A project between the city of Richmond and the state department of environmental protection recently came to a halt after Madison Judge/Executive Kent Clark stepped in to make sure Four Mile Road, which is a county road, remained as undisturbed as possible.
“The state environmental cabinet is trying to clean up these (landfill) dump sites,” Clark said. “They send big tanker trucks to get it and haul it off to a disposal site.”
Richmond’s landfill on Box Angle Road has not been in use since the mid-1990s, and still was being tested for groundwater contaminants that were pumped out daily.
When a landfill is closed, the runoff must be tested until it becomes non-hazardous to the groundwater, said Scott Althauser in a May interview. Althauser is superintendent of Richmond Utilities.
A $1.2 million state grant received by the city in May was given to help redirect the landfill’s water waste, also known as leachate, into a force main sewer.
“They’re trying all over the state to get these cleaned up and get the groundwater into a safe, regional sewer system,” Clark said.
The problem lies in the fact that the fiscal court has not been informed about the project’s process, Clark said.
“They really didn’t bother to come in and show us the plans,” Clark said. “We called and had the project shut down until we could all get together and work things out. We were able to work out a little better design where they didn’t cut up as much road and didn’t tear up as much ground.”
Digging for the force main was being done on both sides of Four Mile Road because of the landscaping, Clark said.
The less obstructive way to complete the project is simply go down one side of the road, Clark said.
The county will continue to inspect the project’s progress, he said.
Aside from cleaning up the environment, another positive result of the project is improving the safety on Four Mile Road.
“It will also keep the tanker trucks (used to collect and haul the water samples) off Four Mile Road,” he said. “It’s very dangerous.”
The city’s former landfill on Box Angle Road has been covered with vegetation, and the leachate tanks were installed about seven years ago.
The waste is then deposited in a manhole located on the site of the Richmond Fire Station Training Center, also located on Four Mile Road.
When the force main is complete, the waste water from the former landfill will go into Richmond’s sewer system, he said.
The state also will provide funding for the county’s road department so that the construction areas can be blacktopped again, Clark said.
The contract for the project was awarded in May to Somerset-based Weddle Enterprises Inc.
Ronica Shannon can be reached at rshannon@richmondregister.com or 624-6608.
Local News
County temporarily halts landfill project
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Friday at library : Lecturer to portray founder of Berea
John G. Fee, abolitionist and founder of both Berea and Berea College, will be portrayed Friday night by performer Obadiah Ewing-Roush as part of Kentucky Humanities Council Chautauqua performance series at the Madison County Public Library. There is no charge to attend the 7 p.m. event.
As the son of a slave-holding father, Fee witnessed firsthand the benefits of having slaves and the profits that could be made from their labor. When he graduated from college and enrolled in Lane Theological Seminary, he began to understand the inherent wrong and destructiveness of slavery. -
Berea woman dies Tuesday in Laurel County crash
A Berea woman, Tommie Johnson, 60, died Tuesday evening in a Laurel County crash, according to the the Laurel Sheriff’s Office.
The accident took place about 7 p.m. at the junction of Maple Grove Road and KY 363 south of London, as Johnson was attempting to turn onto the state highway.
Laurel County Chief Deputy Eddy Sizemore said Johnson’s Chevrolet Cavalier pulled out in front of a Dodge Durango driven by Charles Joseph, 19, that was traveling south on KY 363.
After being extricated from her vehicle, Johnson was transported to St. Joseph-London hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
Joseph also was transported to the hospital, where he was treated for minor injuries, according to the accident report. -
Finally February
Ian Rosser, an Eastern Kentucky University student from Lexington, clears snow from his car parked on campus Wednesday
morning after about an inch of snow fell in Richmond. Temperatures are forcast to be in the upper 40s today. Kentucky has seen a lot of rain in the past few months, as was predicted by the Farmer's Almanac, but very little snow has fallen. -
Volunteers needed for equine therapy
The Appalachian Foothills Therapeutic Equestrian Center will be hosting two, one-day volunteer training workshops for those interested in helping others with special needs.
The volunteer orientation days will be Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., but only one day of training is required, according to Mark Martin who co-owns Appalachian Foothills Therapeutic Equestrian Center (AFTEC) with his wife Cheryl.
The all-volunteer organization, which is based in Jackson County, uses horses to help humans deal with physical and emotional challenges. -
Man accused of holding samurai sword to girlfriend’s throat
A Madison grand jury will hear the case of a man accused of threatening to cut his girlfriend’s head off, and attacking her father with a samurai sword.
Russell M. Masters, 42, of Richmond, is charged with two counts of first-degree wanton endangerment, which is a Class D felony, and fourth-degree assault (domestic violence with minor injury) and resisting arrest, which both are Class A misdemeanors. Masters could receive one to five years in prison on each wanton endangerment charge, and the misdemeanors both carry a maximum sentence of one year in jail. -
Arrest made in connection with stolen jewelry, computer
Richmond police have made an arrest in connection with property stolen from two homes last fall.
A woman reported to police Monday that she had discovered several items that were missing from her home on South Killarney Drive and her grandmother’s home on Raintree Drive, according to Richmond Police Chief Larry Brock. The items were a set of gold hoop earrings, a white Sony Vaio laptop, a yellow gold heart pendant, a gold tennis bracelet and a ladies’ wedding band with a diamond setting.
The complainant said the belongings had gone missing sometime between August and October. -
US 25 business owners scared of five-lane plan
Voices of Berea business owners upset about upcoming construction on US 25 will be taken to the state level, according to city administrator Randy Stone.
Several people operating businesses along a section of US 25 gave comments Tuesday to the Berea City Council, asking them reconsider plans to widen the road to five lanes.
The design is a five-lane highway with a center turn lane and a 10-foot shared use path on one side and a 5-foot sidewalk on the other side. -
Grand jury to hear copper theft case
The attorney for a man accused of stealing copper from a handful of electric poles questioned his identification as the same person who took copper from 32 poles two days earlier.
Public defender Meena Mohanty questioned Richmond police officer Nicholas Duvall during a preliminary hearing Wednesday in Madison District Court. Her client, Jeffrey W. Nester, 46, of Fourth Street, was arrested in connection with a Jan. 23 copper theft. He is charged with second-degree criminal mischief, theft by unlawful taking, possession of burglary tools and failure to notify address change to the Department of Transportation. These charges are all misdemeanors that, at most, carry a sentence of one year in prison. -
Judge weighs constitutionality of legislative redistricting
Kentucky’s deadline for filing to run for legislative seats was in flux on Monday because a judge did not immediately rule on a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of newly redrawn district boundaries.
Franklin County Circuit Judge Phillip Shepherd said he expects to enter a ruling in the case by mid-week.
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Couple recovering from injuries suffered in weekend house fire
A couple was hospitalized after their home was set ablaze Sunday by a spark from a cigar, according to a county fire official.
County Fire Chief Jim Cox said the city and county fire departments were called to the home at 111 Concord Road in the early afternoon. Waco Volunteer Fire Department and the Richmond Fire Department also responded.
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