IWS seeks to expand rail services at Apex Landfill in Ohio

Interstate Waste Services (IWS) is looking to grow its rail services at the Apex Landfill in Jefferson County, Ohio, reports the Herald-Star.

At an April 21 meeting, John Walker—director of operations for rail and transfer at IWS—told Jefferson County commissioners the company is looking for a public sponsor and letters of support to accompany their application for federal funding for a $25.6 million expansion. The expansion would include earthwork paving ($10.5 million), track construction ($3.3 million), a gondola building ($3.6 million), equipment ($6.2 million) and powerline relocation ($2 million).

Walker says IWS, based in Teaneck, New Jersey, is asking for 80 percent in government match with 20 percent private match, “on top of approaching $100 million of private investment in the system over the last two years.”

IWS has reportedly been making upgrades to the existing property, including spending $500,000 on a gas vaporization system, and is taking steps to “alleviate” the Mingo Junction yards, which are a source of frequent odor complaints.

“We’d like to install an additional 5,000 feet of rail track and build a gondola facility, all while creating 25 more jobs,” Walker told commissioners.

While the rail expansion has the potential to create more jobs, the Herald-Star reports commissioners are wary that it might lead to an expansion of the landfill itself.

“We have to live and die by our permit,” David Cieply, IWS executive vice president of landfill operations, told commissioners. “Our permit has a capped restriction. On a given day we cannot exceed 10,000 tons. Right now, we’re taking anywhere from 7,000 tons to 7,500 tons a day. What we potentially have control of would come in on the [gondolas] and whatnot that we’re talking about would be another 1,200 to 1,500 max per day, so we would target maybe around 9,000 in that capacity.”

Although the company can’t process more than its 10,000-ton-per-day permit, commissioner David Maple has concerns that there would be more rail cars with waste waiting to be processed. “You just said you’ll stop the rail cars, but the trash is still sitting in the county if it’s in the rail cars,” he says. “You hit 9,000 but the pipeline’s still sitting there, right? You quit putting it in for the day but [that does not] stop the rail cars from coming in.”

Following the meeting, the Herald-Star reports commissioners were unsure of the position they would take on the expansion request.