Sunny Farms operating with safety in mind

Sunny Farms Landfill put the word out on Tuesday that it is operating with safety at the front of its concerns during the coronavirus pandemic. In a letter addressed to "community leaders," with copies emailed to members of the media, officials of the landfill, located about four miles south of Fostoria, reported actions being taken and saying, "the well-being of our business partners, employees and communities is our highest priority." "We could make the argument that we're one of the safest ways to handle waste because we do it with machines," landfill spokesman Ben Nutter said in an interview Tuesday afternoon. The letter detailed how the facility is approaching the pandemic in the areas of prevention, health and safety, readiness and community engagement. The landfill said it is working remotely when possible, limiting business travel and in-person meetings, practicing social distancing and encouraging employees and business partners "to aggressively practice proper hygiene" based on advice from health authorities. According to the letter, the landfill's health and safety managers have received guidance in regard to employees, including the screening of anyone entering the grounds. The landfill said it is prepared to bring in employees or contractors from other areas if a staffing issue arises. It added that it has worked to ensure that it has sufficient fuel to operate trucks and facilities as usual. The letter also said that while supporting its customers and communities, Sunny Farms has suspended its hosting of community tours and events. "As events unfold, we will continue updating our policies and procedures to reflect expert advice, best practices and guidance from public health authorities," the letter said. "We remain committed to delivering sustainable waste management services to our customers even in the most difficult conditions." Seneca County Health Commissioner Beth Schweitzer said she's been pleased with what she's learned about the landfill during the pandemic. "Of course, I've gotten their regular reports, and I've checked in with Ben Nutter several times," she said. "From our inspections and what we've seen and what they are reporting that they are doing, we feel they are doing what they can. I know that there was some concern about are they really an essential service, but they are because of being a municipal waste landfill." Much of the material brought to Sunny Farms comes by railcar from Eastern states, including New York, which tops the nation in coronavirus diagnoses with more than 130,000. Possibilities exist that debris could escape a railcar and come in contact with a person, but Nutter noted that the period of time involving the transportation from New York would not lend itself to making contact with the virus. Health authorities have said the coronavirus can last from hours to up to five days on objects. "The virus can only survive so long on inanimate objects," Nutter said. "It takes longer than that for that material to reach us. The railcar itself takes a minimum of five days. But that material would have been at a job site and then it sits at a transfer station and then it is loaded, and all of that is done by automation. I would say there is a lot more danger if you picked something up off of a parking lot at your local store." Schweitzer said she's talked with several people regarding the interstate waste transportation in the last few weeks. She noted that interstate rail travel is a federal issue and there are "multiple aspects that need to be considered when we are looking at something like this," including the undesirability of having waste sitting dormant. She said she is fine with how Sunny Farms has handled the potential threat of the virus coming from outside states. "I consulted with the Ohio Department of Health and my attorneys," Schweitzer said. "They felt the length of time it takes to travel and the fact that three days is about the longest (the virus) has been shown to live in a surface, so I feel comfortable with the fact that there's nothing live coming in. And, of course, that's construction and demolition debris, and Ben did tell me if they would happen for some reason get a trailer that wouldn't be just C&DD, they do not accept it." The letter from the landfill also noted that a 125-foot flare was recently installed to replace a 42-foot flare to burn off gas as it is collected. "The new flare works seamlessly with the vacuum piping connected to our network of gas wells to reduce the potential for odor migration," the letter said. Also mentioned in the letter is that Sunny Farms' parent company, Tunnel Hill Partners, is now engaged in a formal merger with New York City-based Macquarie Infrastructure Partners. "The new structure provides Sunny Farms with additional financial and organizational resources that will ensure continued investment in technology and best operational resources," the letter said.