Eaton Twp. zoning officials reject Ross Incineration rezoning request

EATON TWP. — Ross Environmental Services was defeated Wednesday in its attempt to rezone company property on Giles Road to heavy industrial so that it could bury waste from its incinerator there. The township zoning commission unanimously rejected a request to rezone nearly 218 acres from light industrial to heavy industrial. The company wanted to mix and bury waste ash from its incinerator in a protected mound up to 50 feet tall. Township residents were vocal in their opposition to the plan, and township zoning commissioners agreed with the Lorain County Planning Commission's recommendation against the plan. Opponents of the plan clapped and cheered in the hearing room of Eaton Township Hall after the vote was taken following a more-than two-hour hearing. Ross planned to build a 23-acre monofill for the waste ash it creates. Critics were alarmed the ash might contain heavy metals or chemicals that could contaminate groundwater, or that Ross might expand the monofill to take in more waste for a greater profit without having to make another request through official channels in the future. Ross tests, then burns the solid waste it receives to ash and ships it to landfills outside Ohio, company officials said. Those who packed the town hall on Wednesday were split: Approximately half supported Ross' expansion, while half the room opposed to the rezoning. Had Ross' petition for rezoning succeeded, it would still have had to survive another public hearing and then a vote by the Eaton Township Trustees. Both sides were more respectful of each other on Wednesday than at a previous hearing on March 8 that devolved into shouting, name-calling and required Lorain County sheriff's deputies to eject a man. On Wednesday, Ross officials said they support 300 employees and families, and give money to local charitable organizations. Pounding his fist on a podium in front of the audience, third-generation company owner Bill Cromling III pledged that his family and employees are "committed to safety and compliance." "Safety and compliance is the No. 1 thing we talk about every day," he said. "We have nothing to hide. Never have, never will. I bet my children's souls on it." Pat Lawson, vice president for corporate compliance and risk management with Ross Environmental Services, said any concerns about the site plan should have been put to rest by changes the company made in its plans, while "appropriate measures" were taken to preserve the environment surrounding the project. "We believe it is appropriate to note this is a community of nearly 9,000 people, and those with opposing views tonight speak only for themselves," Lawson said. Many critics who spoke March 8 aren't from Eaton Township, and many others don't own property abutting Ross Incineration, she said. "Ross has been a good corporate citizen," Lawson said. Darrell Zielinski, vice president of business development for Ross Environmental Services, said the project is called a "monofill" for a reason: The company would only be allowed to bury a single category of waste there, namely waste ash from its own incinerator that would be sandwiched between two layers of impermeable plastic. Waste from other locations would not be allowed there, he said. The monofill for Ross' waste ash also would protect the company from price hikes at the out-of-state landfills it currently ships to, as well as to protect against those landfills shutting down in the future. Ross is among companies in the country that received solid waste from the Norfolk Southern train derailment in East Palestine on Feb. 3. The derailment, resulting chemical spill and environmental concerns were brought up numerous times on March 8 and Wednesday. By taking hundreds of tons of solid waste from East Palestine at the request of the Ohio EPA, "we're helping to clean up a mess we did not create," Ross Vice President for Technology Steve Goldman said, and "making the world better and safer" as a result. Opponents of the rezoning request were unmoved, citing concerns about their health and safety and that of their children. Township zoning inspector George Anders provided the commission with a long list of reasons he said opponents of the zoning change gave him. There were more than 200 people who contacted him in person, by phone, by email or who simply showed up at his home, he said. "I believe what Ross does probably does improve the environment on the whole, but not where they're doing it," a man who gave his name as Eric Schmidt told the commission. He said he was concerned about the risk of birth defects and respiratory ailments, as well as lower home values. Other critics agreed: Property values would plummet, and the health of future township residents could be at stake. "There is no other solution but to deny their proposal," local resident Nick Masters said. Critics also said the township zoning code is written in such a way that rezoning Ross property to heavy industrial will create loopholes that will allow the company to do whatever it wants in the future. "I don't think a blank check to do whatever with 300 acres is a good idea," Eaton Township resident Elizabeth Rattray said. Contact Dave O'Brien at (440) 329-7129 or dobrien@chroniclet.com. Follow him on Twitter @DaveOBrienCT.